BOLIVIA'S DEEPENING CRISIS
LA PAZ, Bolivia, March 2 [delayed] -- The political situation here is growing sharper day by day, The standard of living continues .to deteriorate, Prices are headed toward the sky, wages toward the ground, The specter of unemployment takes on more and more reality.
The government of the MNR [Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario] is incapable of solving the smallest problems of the working class, Every demand for an increase in wages or improvements is turned down.
In face of the rampant hunger and misery, the working class has recently been moving toward struggle with the ruling party, the MNR. Since the National Convention of the MNR was held last December, and Juan Lechin and the miners! sector of the MNR were expelled, mass resignations have been sent in by thousands of workers in many sectors, but especially by the miners, The Miners Federation held a plenum at which resignation was decided on and this was followed by all the miners' unions. The miners have besigned in public assemblies of workers and even in demonstrations, Do .
On February 28 an antigovernment demonstration was held in the city of Oruro, It was joined by the majority in the mines, railways, and plants, and by students and peasants. The president and his cabinet members were burned in effigy.. Membership books and oards of
the ruling party were also burned, It was the first antigovernment _ demonstration of such huge proportions, It can be put down as the beginning of the struggle for. the liquidation of the MNR,
The demonstration supported: the, demand for the immediate release of the trade~union leaders of the miners, plant and railway workers and peasants, who have been imprisoned since last December,
With the resignation of the miners from the MNR -- the vanguard of the proletariat -- the government lost all workers! support. The only force it had.was the army, But with the recent attempt to assassinate Barrientos Ortuno, commander. in chief of the air foroe, the army also withdrew its support,
[on March 7 Barrientos was named as Paz Estenssoro!s running mate after Fcertun, the vice-presidential candidate nominated by the MNR congress suddenly resigned, Paz is evidentl going to great: lengths | to woo the’ heads. of" the military forces Te
The government - lost ‘control with the collective resignation of the miners and is now resorting to terrorism; that is, assaults have been organized against leading figures in the opposition, In addi-~ tion the internal struggle in the MNR has become a shambles, Every-~body is fighting everybody else. All of them want to be the candidate for the next election, But Paz Estenssoro wants to be re-elected no matter what, a re
The reactionary. right wing is “also. organizing under the leadership of the fascist-minded Bolivian Socialist Falange, the PRA [Pars tido Revolucionario Auténtico], and other traditional parties. The working class and the parties of the left, for. their part, are orioenting toward the organization of a common front for struggle,
Lechin and his followers now appear to be heading toward -the formation of a new party of a nationalist character which will seek to head the discontented workers, appealing to them with an anti~ imperialist language, but with the objective of saving. the ruling bourgeoisie. =
Most sectors of the population are watching this development expectantly, awaiting further action to help clarify matters.
WARNING ISSUED AGAINST POSTAGE STAMP
The U.S. Philately magazine has put all stamp collectors on guard against a subversive North Vietnam stamp showing aman and.woman firing at a target, "The issuance of this stamp is a blatant. act of hostility toward the United States and a gesture of undue crudity," said the editor, “Instead of shooting, as might be expected, at the South Vietnamese, the soldiers in the picture are attempting to down auU.sS,. Army helicopter, as though the United States were an imperial~ ist aggressor"
ow Lhe
THE NAZI