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Thousands Protest in Bolivia Over Rising Prices

   VOA News  February 18, 2011
   Members  of  Bolivia's  Central  Workers union march to protest rising
   food costs in La Paz, the smoke is from small packages of dynamite set
   off by the protesters, Feb. 18, 2011

Photo: AP

   Members  of  Bolivia's  Central  Workers union march to protest rising
   food costs in La Paz; the smoke is from small packages of dynamite set
   off by the protesters, Feb. 18, 2011

   Thousands  of  people have rallied in La Paz, Bolivia to demand higher
   salaries as the cost of food and fuel increases.
   Unions  led  Friday's demonstrators, who marched in the streets of the
   capital  to protest the cost of living. Some of the protesters set off
   sticks  of  dynamite while taking part in the fifth day of protests in
   the Andean nation.
   The  protest  comes  one  month  after  President  Evo Morales said he
   planned  to  raise fuel prices eventually, despite rescinding a decree
   to  do  so. Morales has said the increase is necessary to level prices
   in  the region so government subsidies do not pay for gasoline that is
   smuggled in from other countries.
   Those  comments  came  after  the  government  announced  a 73 percent
   increase  in  gas  prices  and an 83 percent increase for diesel fuel.
   Subsequent  strikes  by bus and taxi drivers to protest the new prices
   hobbled transit in many cities across the nation.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.