A Rite of Passage

Protestors are mounting a general strike tomorrow and nationwide highway blockades to demand more municipal control of a new gas tax. It will be the culmination of nearly a week of hunger strikes and marches by city and public university officials in Bolivia's largest cities. Last week, students from Santa Cruz's public university took over the city's tax office.
The latest protests will be the result of simmering discontent by Santa Cruz and other cities that feel as though the national government shouldn't hold the purse strings of the new tax. Conceding to mass protests from largely indigenous groups who demanded a greater share of Bolivia's oil wealth, former President Carlos Mesa in May allowed a law to pass that effectively put a 50% tax on natural gas. He then resigned -- the second in two years to bolt in the face of mass protests. His resignation only temporarily postponed the current mess.
As often seems to be the case in Bolivia, the congress wrote the law in a way that left it with more holes than a fish net. It left in question how the some $400 million will be distributed. Crumbling public universities are now demanding a 5% cut. States including Santa Cruz -- or departments as they're called here -- are demanding the distribution be determined by the number of inhabitants in each department. The booming city of Santa Cruz -- which became Bolivia's largest after the latest census -- is getting the least amount of dollars per head, according to a recent study. And Crucenos, who have long advocated greater regional autonomy, resent the fact that much of the gas being sucked from the ground comes from their own department.
How will this affect us?
Not sure yet. I will have to cancel mid-term exams for my two classes since students won't be able to get to school. We are scheduled to fly to La Paz Saturday...Still not sure if the highway will be blocked.