(13 Sep 2008)
La Paz
1. Wide of Defence Minister at news conference
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Walker San Miguel, Bolivian Defence Minister
"Article 96, number 18 of the constitution says that it is up to the president of the republic to preserve and defend order in the country. Therefore, having the approval of the council of ministers, and following article 111 of the state's political constitution, all the territory of the Pando state is declared under state of siege."
3. Officials
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Walker San Miguel, Bolivian Defence Minister
"The nation's Armed Forces, the national police and all of the country's security and protection services have been ordered to carry out emergency protection and security work for the people of Pando."
5. Wide of government palace in La Paz
6. Various of mob of protesters chanting obsceneties as governor of Tarija Mario Cossio arrives for talks with President Evo Morales
Santa Cruz
7. Wide of crowd gathered outside Venezuelan Embassy in Santa Cruz
8. Medium of women chanting, " Venezuela, get out!"
9. Various of men unscrewing plate outside Venezuelan embassy, destroying it and throwing it
10. Man shooting at Venezuelan flag
8. Protestors telling police to get out, after they arrived to control the situation
STORYLINE:
Bolivian President Evo Morales decreed a state of siege and sent troops Friday to an eastern province where at least eight people were killed in street battles between pro- and anti-government activists.
The announcement was made by Bolivian Defence Minister Walker San Miguel during a news conference in La Paz.
Troops took control of the airport in Cobija, the capital of Pando province, and fired shots to disperse protesters.
Opposition Sen. Ronal Camargo and Fides radio reported one person was killed and several wounded in the operation.
But that information was not confirmed by Defence Minister Walker San Miguel, who announced the government decree alongside Bolivia's interior minister.
The state of siege, which prohibits people from gathering or carrying weapons, aims "to safeguard lives and the collective good," Interior Minister Alfredo Rada told reporters.
The move came hours after Morales and opposition governors from four eastern provinces that are in open revolt against him agreed to talks on ending the crisis.
Tarija Gov. Mario Cossio travelled to the capital, La Paz, for negotiations.
He was received by an angry mob of government supporters who scremed obscenities as he walked in to meet with the president.
Anti-government protesters fought backers of President Evo Morales with clubs, machetes and guns and seized natural gas fields on Thursday. At least eight people died in Pando, and 36 were wounded.
Government opponents are demanding Morales cancel a Dec. 7 nationwide vote on a new constitution that would help him centralize power, run for a second consecutive term and transfer fallow terrain to landless peasants from Bolivia's poor indigenous majority.
In a speech in central Cochabamba province, Morales said opponents "have every right to reject the new constitution, but through the vote and not through violence."
The crisis went international after Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador, accusing him of inciting the protests. U.S. officials denied the charges and responded by kicking out Bolivia's ambassador to Washington.
Morales ally and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez also kicked out the American envoy to his nation in solidarity with Bolivia.
A similar group gathered in front of the Venezuelan embassy in Santa Cruz demanding that Venezuelan officials leave Bolivia.
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