Truckers tax blockade
Truckers tax blockade 2016: Members of the Bolivian Chamber of Transport (CBT) implemented a five-day strike between January 31st-February 4th and blockaded national and international routes to demand changes to the tax system, ultimately resulting in two deaths. The protestors set up blockades at five border points in the country and blocked the exit and entry points of six capital cities: La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Oruro, Sucre, and Potosí (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2016b). The sector demanded modification of the Tax Law, which, as reported by transport leader Oscar Reynolds, constituted “un atentado a la economía del transporte internacional de carga” (an attack on the economy of international freight transport) (“Más de 800 camiones bloquean los cuatros accesos a la ciudad” 2016; Agencia de Noticias Fides 2016b).
63-year-old Edith Arancibia died on Sunday, January 31st, after coming across the blockade on the Totacoa–Sucre highway (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2016a). Arancibia was in the midst of a conversation with blockaders in Sucre when she suffered a cerebral aneurysm. According to a report at the Yotala Hospital, the aneurysm led to cardiac arrest, and once arriving at the hospital, she was already deceased (“Más de 800 camiones bloquean los cuatros accesos a la ciudad” 2016). The director of Santa Bárbara Hospital, Gilka Guerrero, stated that the woman suffered an aneurysm as a result of the discussion with the protesters (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2016a). The representative of the National Heavy Transport, Oscar Reynold, blamed the government for her death after not addressing their demands. Since the cause of death was natural, authorities indicated that no criminal investigation was opened.
The President of the Heavy Transport Chamber of El Alto, Gustavo Rivadeneira, reported that during the blockade, one of his members got killed by military personnel in Tambo Quemado, and there were gunshots against his transport units (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2016b). This was supported by other transport leaders, including vice president of the National Transport Chamber, Erlan Melgar, who said that the death of a driver occurred on Monday, February 1st, after getting beaten to death by two soldiers (Agencia de Noticias Fides 2024). The Ministry of Defense confirmed that those responsible were Sergeant Yerson P. and Second Lieutenant Saul O (eju.tv 2016). The driver who died was identified as Juan José Mamani. After an autopsy was performed on Mamani’s body, it was indicated that the soldiers beat him because he filmed them while they were drinking (eju.tv 2016). Minister of Defense Reymi Ferreira, stated both soldiers would be discharged so they could face ordinary justice for Mamani’s death. Authorities stated that the death was an “isolated” event in the heavy transport conflict.
On February 5th, police cleared several roadblocks at the Bolivia border, allowing drivers to leave the roads (“Transporte acepta diálogo y abre cuarto intermedio en los bloqueos” 2016). After five days, the CBT agreed to dialogue with the Government and declared a recess in its protests. The blockades were lifted gradually due to the large number of trucks and vehicles stopped along the roads. Hundreds of police officers were deployed to various blockade points, successfully clearing some roads, although protesters retook others. That morning, Attorney General Ramiro Guerrero instructed the city of Santa Cruz to open criminal proceedings against heavy transport drivers for obstructing free transit on national and international highways.