Laymi-Qaqachaka 1998
Throughout 1998, violent attacks between ayllus Qaqachaka, Laymi, and Jukumanis left at least 14 dead despite government efforts to intervene in the conflict and pacify the groups. The violence started on Janurary 16, 1998, when Qaqachaka members looted Laymi houses in Pata Pata, killing campesino Faustino Cala Chucutea. Following this attack, ayllus Jukumani, Chayantaka, and Panakachi entered a mutual defense alliance with the Laymi against the Qaqachakas (Presencia 1998d).
On January 25, 1998, the Laymi sought revenge for the death of Chucutea, killing Qaqachaka campesinos Vicente Copatita Ayca and Lucrecia Chaisiri Montaño. This violence continued on Feburary 15 with the Laymi killing three Qaqacka women – Bertha Colque Porco, Elvira Colque de Condori, and Francisca Condori Huaycaraya. Following this attack, the Laymi and Qaqacka reached a tentative peace agreement on February 19 (Presencia 1998a, 1998d).
Peace between the ayllus was short lived. Early in the morning on April 18, 1998, a group of Qaqachaka attacked a group of Jukumani campesinos in Taki Palka, leaving three dead. The victims were Corpus Pacheco Ossio, 60, from Chiruya, Severino Condori Achacata, 26, from Coya Cachi, and Alberto Acero Bernabé, 25, from Coya Cachi, who died by gunshot wounds. Melquiades Condori Chocata, 24, from Chiruyo, was injured by a gunshot wound to the arm. The Jukumani told police that they went to Taki Palk to launch a suprise attack against the Qaqachaka who had been stealing their crops. However, the Qaqachaka were armed and started firing at them. Police were dispatched to the conflict zone. A high-level commission made plans to visit the area due to the high number of confrontations involving as many as ten different ayllus in the north of Potosí and southeast of Oruro (Presencia 1998b).
Shortly following the April 18 conflict, on April 24, a group of 400 Qaqachakas attacked the Jukumani using firearms in Pairumani, Potosí (Presencia 1998a). Two Jukamani were killed, Primitiva López Chino and Margarita Warawara Rojas, and three injured (MatanQaqachacasIntervendra1998?). On May 26, all ayllus signed a preliminary peace agreement in Huanuni, but the peace ended after two days. On May 28, Laymi from Pata Pata, Sora Sora, and Cututo in the Bustillo province of Potosí fired upon Qaqachaka shepards and sheep from Quachapi, Ch’allacunca, and Uritaca of Avaroa, Oruro killing two sheep. Later that day, Jucumani from the Yareta Ch’utu community in Bustillo, Potosí, launched an armed attack on Villa Belén. In response, Qaqachaka from Challacunca and Coachapi attacked Pata Pata and Cututo on May 30, killing Laymi Pedro Calla Sillero and Paulina Chocotea Condori (Presencia 1998c)
On August 8, Qaqachakas killed Laymi campesino Adrián Condori, 50, from Pata Pata Grande by a gunshot wound. His son, Alberto Condori, 18, was shot in the knee as well. This violence persists in spite of government attempts at pacification through increasing public investment and the implementation of social and development projects (Agencia de Noticias Fides 1998).