LIMA, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's opposition governors Wednesday demanded
the government withdraw its forces from Trinidad, the capital of Beni province,
in 48 hours, accusing them of repressing autonomist youngsters that tried to
occupy governmental facilities in Beni.
A group of youngsters went to the National Service of Taxes in Trinidad
Tuesday night and tried to seize the facilities of the Internal Taxes office.
However, the building was guarded by military police who stopped the action.
Military forces have been reinforced in Trinidad since then.
The provincial civic committee, which is controlled by the opposition, said
in a statement Wednesday that they rejected the repression performed by the
armed forces against the people who were protesting "in a peaceful way for
something they think is fair and necessary to consolidate the provincial
autonomy."
The committee also summoned a "march for the autonomy reaffirmation and for
the dignity of the Bolivian people" at 15:00(2000 GMT), Sept. 4, in order to
protest against the military actions.
The government said the protestors' threats would fuel separatism and
racism.
Beni is a province under control of the opposition party, whose objections
to a new constitution proposed by President Evo Morales created turbulence in
Bolivia's politics in recent days.
Moreover, the governors in Beni were also against the national policy of
cutting the provincial budgets to aid the old with no incomes.
Morales has called for a referendum on the new constitution on Dec.
7.