La Paz Disability Hunger Strikes
On September 8, 1998, after thirteen consecutive days of protesting alongside other members of the Bolivian Confederacy of People with Disabilities, COPOBDI, Freddy Siñani died of a pulmonary infection. His participation marked a collective movement by disabled people in La Paz, who accused the government of depriving disabled people of fundamental necessities, such as those of medical care and food access and advocated for people with disabilities to receive an equity bonus (Mendoza 2008).
The La Paz protest, spearheaded by COPOBDI, began on July 21, 2008, and took place in front of the offices of the Yacimientos Petroliferous Fiscales Bolivianos in Santa Cruz (Mendoza 2008). These mass mobilizations were also taking place in neighboring cities, with reports that protestors in Santa Cruz had attempted to take over the Palmasola Refinery, before the police intervened. In Cochabamba, dozens of individuals threatened to initiate a hunger strike (“Personas con discapacidad se sacan sangre por bono equidad” 2008). The president of the Departmental Federation of Persons with Disabilities (FEDEPDI), Teclo González, claimed the mobilization to be a response to the lack of action by the government in providing people with disabilities an equal annual equity bonus of 3000 Bolivian Bolivianos (Mendoza 2008).
Freddy Siñani had participated in the La Paz protest from July 21 to August 4, 2008. Siñani was reported on August 4 to have experienced a significant health decline, leading to his admission into the Tórax Hospital later that day. Protest were cancelled for the rest of the day. (“Discapacitado fallece por afección pulmonar tras 13 días de protesta - Agencias de Noticias Fides” 2008). Siñani died on August 4th at the age of 38 due to a pulmonary infection, which was believed to be the result of spending an extended amount of time outdoors protesting (“Discapacitado fallece por afección pulmonar tras 13 días de protesta - Agencias de Noticias Fides” 2008). Following Siñani’s death, the president of COPOBDI, Jaime Estívatriz, issued a statement that accused the government of being responsible for Siñai’s death (“Discapacitado fallece por afección pulmonar tras 13 días de protesta - Agencias de Noticias Fides” 2008).
| Event | Year | Confirmed | State Perp | State Victim | Sep from State | Protest Domain | Presidential Administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Paz disability benefits hunger strike | 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Disabled | Evo Morales |
| Date | First Name | Surnames | Age | Deceased Affiliation | Intentionality | State responsibility | Perpetrator Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 Aug 2008 | Freddy | Siñani | NA | Protester | Incidental | Unintentional | N/A |