00:00In Bolivia, thousands of workers marched through the streets in protest against Decree 5503,
00:05which since last Wednesday has imposed a neoliberal economic policy that includes canceling fuel subsidies
00:09and handed over strategic natural resources to national and foreign private companies.
00:14Our correspondent, Frank Morales, has the details.
00:20Thousands responded to the call, but Bolivian Workers' Union on the first day of protest
00:25to demand that the government repeal the decree that cancels fuel subsidies
00:29and hands-over strategic resources to private companies, national and foreign companies.
00:37We are sending a message to the central government to reconsider the dam decree,
00:43which is not simply about the increase in fuel prices behind the supreme decree we have conducted an analysis.
00:50It includes labor flexibility, wage freezes and many other issues that will affect the entire population.
00:59The working class is not going to allow it.
01:03They are not going to allow the privatization of those companies that give services to the working class.
01:12Last Friday, an assembly of the 65 unions of the Bolivian Workers' Central
01:16decided to begin mobilizations in their strides this week
01:19to have the decree that restores neoliberalism in this country after 20 years revoked.
01:29We have given instructions.
01:32They are already blocked in the nine departments.
01:34We are only here as a delegation from the Confederation,
01:37as part of some federations and executives.
01:39The others are already at the designated blockade points.
01:42It affects us all, not just one sector.
01:48We want to repeal the dam law because the government was elected by the Bolivian people
01:52and no, look how it is repaying the people.
01:56At least, 20 of the unions affiliated with the Workers' Central
02:00participated in the street protests
02:02and similar actions were announced for the coming days.
02:05People, the population, I think they are not realizing
02:11in your articles you are promoting the sale of our country,
02:18the sale of our companies, our natural resources
02:21and that their millionaires become even richer.
02:26It was recalled that the first measures adopted by the government
02:30that took office on November 8th were to abolish taxes for the rich.
02:33While now it is asking the poor sectors to bear the brunt of the crisis.
02:40For the millionaires, for the businessmen,
02:42they removed their taxes.
02:45They no longer pay taxes on their fortunes, taxes on transfers.
02:50But for the people, they issue decrease of hunger,
02:53decrease of misery.
02:55And we cannot allow this.
02:58Comrades, this movement must continue
03:02until victory.
03:04Until this damn decree 55-03 is repealed.
03:10Several sectors distanced themselves
03:15from the Bolivian Workers' Central Union's destruction
03:18not to negotiate on a sectorial basis.
03:21For example,
03:22the public transport units withdrew
03:24from the Protestant Sunday
03:25after reaching agreements with the government.
03:28The GOP reported that it was also invited to negotiate
03:31and that it will also do
03:32after consulting with its affiliated organizations.
03:34Freddy Morales, Telesur, Bolivia.
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