CIDOB March Car Crash
Macabeo Choque Arce (26) and Betzabé Flores Castro (23) were killed on November 14, 2006 while participating in a march by the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia from Valle Sajta to Ivirgarzama in the Chapare. (La Prensa 2006) That morning, marchers lined up to leave the town of Valle Sajta, Chapare, and continue marching on to Ivirgazama (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006). At 4:30 am, as marchers assembled in three rows they watched a fleet of cars stop 20 meters away to let them through, and then from the back of the pack a black Mitsubishi suddenly sped forward and hit 12 people (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006). The van struck Macabeo Choque Arce (26), who died instantly of severe cranial brain trauma (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006). Macabeo Choque Arce had been a campesino representing CDTAC (Central Departamental de Trabajadores Asalariados del Campo) from the department of Chuquisaca (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006; “A pesar de accidentes, indígenas marchistas continuarán en su caminata.” 2006) Choque Arce’s remains were moved to the Coliseum of the Don Bosco School after his autopsy at 6:45pm on November 14th, following uncertain where to bury the deceased [“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” (2006); @BoliviaMarchaIndigena2006].
Eleven others were also severely injured, including Betzabé Flores Castro (23) (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006). Four of the injured were taken to Hospital Viedma, and the others were taken to Ivirgarzama Hospital in Ivirgarzama (“A pesar de accidentes, indígenas marchistas continuarán en su caminata.” 2006). Flores was hospitalized in Ivirgarzama Hospital in the Cochabamba department where she passed on Tuesday night, November 14 (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006). The next morning her remains were transferred to Santa Cruz, from where her family will bring her body back to her home community of Piraí (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006). During the wake of Macabeo Choque Arce, marchers later learned of Flores’ death (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006).
The marchers accused the driver, Benigno Ramiro Alcalá, of being drunk, although this was denied by him and his wife. Ramiro Alcalá was a surgeon from the local hospital (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006). According to witnesses, the van was traveling at high speed when it hit a dozen people and then collided with a parked bus of the Bolivar Fleet (“A pesar de accidentes, indígenas marchistas continuarán en su caminata.” 2006). Two marchers testified to the accident (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006). The driver claimed he could not see the marchers due to the lights of the parked bus. The driver then tried to flee, but marchers detained him until Ivirgazama Police arrived and transferred the driver to local prison (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006). Benigno Ramiro Alcalá was originally sentenced to the San Pedro de Sacaba prison, but he was later transferred to Cochabamba after marchers protested his referral to the insecure prison (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006). Marchers held a vigil at his hearing, and the march was suspended while waiting for the judge’s decision for Ramiro Alcalá [“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” (2006); @BoliviaIndigenasHacen2006]. The judge denied his freedom and detained him preventatively (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006).
Unclear reports also state that at the time the marchers were also awaiting the state of Flores’ baby who was in grave condition (“Bolivia: Indigenas hacen nueva pausa en marcha a sede de gobierno” 2006). At 6pm on Wednesday, marchers met in the Coliseum of the Don Bosco School in Ivirgarzama to decide if they would continue the march (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006). They voted to continue (“Bolivia: Indígenas exigen justicia y ratifican llegada a La Paz” 2006). They started walking again the next morning 07:30 a.m., and arrived at Ivirgarzama that day at 12:45pm (“Bolivia. Marcha Indígena: Así Se Desarrolla...” 2006).
Background
The Confederación de Pueblos Indígenas del Oriente Boliviano (CIDOB) led a march to the capital of La Paz. The Secretary of Communication of Indigenous Peoples, María Sarabia, said the march started on October 31st with 400 people, and by November 14th they had grown to number 1,500 marchers (“A pesar de accidentes, indígenas marchistas continuarán en su caminata.” 2006). Marching toward La Paz, indigenous lowland peoples rallied to demand that the state legislature accept the new Land Law that would return land to indigenous populations (“A pesar de accidentes, indígenas marchistas continuarán en su caminata.” 2006). Two groups from the Andean city of Oruro and from the tropical Yungas region also started marches with the same objective (“Bolivia: Indigenas hacen nueva pausa en marcha a sede de gobierno” 2006). As they stopped along the way, they were greeted with donations of food, supplies, medicine and often supportive rallies (CIPCA 2007). The march ended on November 28th when after 29 days of walking the 5,000 marchers arrived in La Paz, concluding the 5th stage of a march that the indigenous lowland people of Bolivia began in 1990 (CIPCA 2007). Agrarian Law 3545 of “Reconducción Comunitaria de la Reforma Agraria” was approved that very day (CIPCA 2007). The new law was dedicated to Macabeo Choque and Betzabeth Flores (CIPCA 2007). Marchers celebrated the law’s approval with a party at the coliseum of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz (CIPCA 2007).