Bolivian truckers and local transport organizations called for an indefinite strike of heavy transport next week against the government of socialist President Luis Arce and ongoing shortages of diesel fuel and foreign currency.
The indefinite strike, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 17, will include road blockades and border closures nationwide.
Bolivian truckers have for months protested an ongoing shortage of diesel fuel that has severely impacted their ability to work, forcing them to spend days searching for a stocked gas station to be able to work. Additionally, the truckers have denounced that the ongoing difficulties in obtaining foreign currency, a product of socialist Bolivia’s precarious economic state, have affected their ability to purchase spare parts for their vehicles’ repairs and their ability to import and export products.
The situation prompted a group of truckers to carry out a two-day blockade of some of Bolivia’s main roads last week, demanding solutions from the Bolivian government while President Arce was visiting Russia to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Bolivian Public Works Minister Édgar Montaño called for talks with trucker representatives, last week, who reportedly rejected the offer and demanded to speak to Arce directly.
The decision to escalate the protests to an indefinite strike was reportedly reached on Monday following an assembly held by different representatives of Bolivia’s national and international transport industry in the city of Oruro. Attendees reportedly said they were “tired” of waiting for a response from the government.
“The national [trucker] assembly agreed to the indefinite strike. The government does not listen to us and that is why they have chosen to radicalize the measures,” Héctor Mercado, president of the National Chamber of Transportation said on Monday.
The truckers agreed to a list of eight demands. In addition to demanding solutions to the fuel and foreign currency shortages, the truckers are demanding to directly negotiate with President Arce and demanding the resignation of Public Works Minister Édgar Montaño, National Customs director Karina Serrudo, and National Tax Authority president Mario Cazón.
The president of Bolivia’s International Transport Association (Asociatrin) Marcelo Cruz explained to local media that the demand for Montaño’s resignation is because he has allegedly denigrated the people and leaders of the mobilized sector. Last week, prior to his calls for talks, Montaño claimed that the blockades were the start of a “coup” against Arce.
The demands for the resignation of both Serrudo and Cazón, according to the transport association president, are the result of alleged negligence on their part.
The transport representatives said they would wait until before June 17 to see if Arce agrees to a direct dialogue — otherwise they will begin their indefinite strike as planned.
“Unfortunately, the state is wrong again trying to ignore the [transport] sector,” Marcelo Cruz, heavy transport sector leader, told the local television channel Unitel on Tuesday.
“There is no situation of being able to see the reality, undoubtedly due to the purchase of diesel and gasoline fuel these days,” Cruz continued. “Obviously, there is some at the pumps at this moment, but how long is this fuel going to last? That is, there is no structural solution to the problem because the dollars given by the [local authorities] are running out. What is going to happen next?”
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.