Yacuiba smugglers protest
On January 29, 2002 a clash between police from Customs Operational Control (COA) and merchant smugglers attempting to break the police cordon separating the Bolivian border town of San José de Pocitos with Argentina resulted in the death of a young boy and left several injured (Los Tiempos 2002).
San José de Pocitos is in the Yacuiba municipality in the department of Tarija where smuggling is rampant. The devaluation of the Argentine peso threatened national industry due to the influx of cheaper Argentine goods, resulting in factories and labor organizations calling for greater smuggling restrictions and the Minister of Foreign Trade Claudio Mansilla requesting an increased presence of COA in border towns (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2002a). In response, the Bolivian government imposed restrictions on the influx of Argentine products, attempting to disband the smuggling economy in Yacuiba, in an effort to prevent the disruption of industries (Los Tiempos 2002). On January 23, the Bolivian National Customs (ANB) closed the Pocitos Bridge to control small quantity smuggling (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2002b). Further restrictions were instituted targeting the entry of Argentine meat and dairy products due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, a viral disease affecting animals, further fueling tensions in the region (Los Tiempos 2002).
Days earlier, Senator Oscar Zamora Medinaceli of the Economic Commission warned that preventing or seizing smuggled good in Yacuiba markets would result in violence. Prior to the violent clash on January 29, small skirmishes between merchants and police attempting to confiscate contraband occurred (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2002c).
On Tuesday, January 29, 2002 at 10:30am merchant smugglers from Pocitos and wider Yacuiba protesting restrictions on the entry of meat and dairy products attempted to break through the police cordon and evade customs control on the Pocitos Bridge in San José Pocitos. (Los Tiempos 2002). It was reported that some 600 merchant smugglers were present (“Un niño muere por causa de los gases en Pocitos” 2002). In response, COA police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors in an attempt to disperse them. Merchant smugglers responded by throwing stones and sticks at police (“Un niño muere por causa de los gases en Pocitos” 2002). Rolando Pinto, a 12 year old boy, present at the protest, was struck in the head by a tear gas grenade shot by COA police.
Pinto was taken to a local hospital in Tartagal, Argentina where he succumbed to his injuries 2 hours later while receiving medical aid (Los Tiempos 2002; “Un niño muere por causa de los gases en Pocitos” 2002). Pinto’s death was reported by Congressman Hugo Carvajal who had received a report on the violent conflict from authorities of Yacuiba (Los Tiempos 2002).
Tomás Paritaguari, a local journalist reported the conflict between the merchants and police to have continued until 3:00pm that day. Additionally, Paritaguari noted that law enforcement officers dispersed crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets while merchants were responding with rocks and sticks. Altogether, the skirmish left several injured on both sides, including at least 5 police officers and 10 to 25 merchants. (“Un niño muere por causa de los gases en Pocitos” 2002). Several of the injured were treated in a Yacuiba hospital.
Following the skirmish the police cordon remained in effect to continue the government’s effort to prevent illegal trade (“Un niño muere por causa de los gases en Pocitos” 2002). On January 31, merchant organizations in Yacuiba demanded border towns between Bolivia and Argentina to be declared “free trade zones.” In response, a commission, comprised of the Minister of Finance, president of the Customs Office, and other government officials, traveled to Yacuiba to negotiate with these organizations (Agencia Noticias Fides 2002).
It is unclear whether any legal action was taken against COA police for the death of Rolando Pinto.