A New Zealander, Sam Flewett, is currently in Bolivia. He used to be involved with ISO and Peace Action in Wellington. He sends this report:

I am currently travelling around Bolivia just at a time when the country is on the brink of revolution. For the last 2 weeks the country (ruling class and petit bourgeoisie) has been crippled by roadblocks, strikes and mass demonstrations calling for the nationalization of the natural gas and for a new constitution to give more power to the impoverished indigenous people of the highlands. Over the last 2 weeks, the situation has been gradually intensifying, with the president resigning 2 nights ago and roadblocks now covering almost the entire country except the south west where I am at present. Alas, the country is not united with reactionary elements in the south east calling for autonomy - these being the 2 richest provinces and home to the natural gas which has sparked the uprisng.

Becuase of the roadblocks, I can only get into Bolivia as far as the mining town of Potosi (also the highest town in the world at 4000m and the site where indigenous and african slaves used to toil away to bankroll the Spanish Empire). Despite this being a small town (about the size of Dunedin) the atmosphere here is no less revolutionary.

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