La Paz, November 7 (Prensa Latina) The economic losses suffered by the musicians of the Santa Cruz department as a result of the indefinite strike declared today in Bolivia by the Interinstitutional Committee exceeds $192,000, assured a source in the sector.
“The music sector is facing very serious problems, we keep our work going every weekend,” affirmed the representative of the Santa Cruz Orchestras, Evaldo Antelo.
He added that at least 42,000 families of these artists have been affected because they have stopped earning income from entertainment programs, parties and special events every weekend.
In statements to the state media network, Antelo asked where he got resources to cover basic needs and services and said he was “bankrupt” like in the days of isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The orchestra representative asked the Santa Cruz authorities to lift the coercive measures so as not to cause further harm to this guild and others in the department.
This Monday, Santa Cruz celebrates 17 days of strike promoted by the Interinstitutional Committee led by Governor Luis Fernando Camacho, Autonomous University Rector Gabriel René Moreno, Vicente Cuellar and citizen Rómulo Calvo.
Santa Cruz’s power elites are calling for anticipating the 2023 census “yes or yes” and not conducting it in 2024, as unanimously agreed in July by the National Autonomous Council, which elects national, departmental and local authorities.
Calvo announced at a press conference this weekend that various citizens’ committees will be campaigning for an indefinite nationwide strike starting this Monday.
The National Committee for the Defense of Democracy, the Yungas coca farmers, spokesmen for the National Medical Association and the International Heavy Transport Chamber all spoke in the same direction.
For their part, lawmakers from opposition parties We Believe and Citizen Community threatened to block President Luis Arce from delivering his speech to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly on November 8 to mark the second anniversary of his inauguration.
jf/jpm