5 provinces in Bolivia carried out a general strike on Tuesday to demand more revenue from natural gas and oil production, which takes place mainly in their territory.
President Evo Morales has refused to accede to their demands, and instead has earmarked a bigger share of the revenues for impoverished elderly citizens. The strike, which closed some banks and retail businesses and forced airlines to suspend flights from La Paz, the capital of the poor Andean nation.
The 24-hour strike was called by civil committees of the departments to demand that the government give back the money it has collected by taxing hydrocarbons in order to fund the pension plan.
The president of Santa Cruzs civic committee, Branco Marincovick, said the tax is constraining regional development. The government condemned acts of violence during the day and said that the strike was limited.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
