UN asks Bolivia to act over deaths

LA PAZ:THE UN has formally asked Bolivian authorities to investigatethe beating death of a Bolivian vice-minister at the hands of miners protesting government environmental policy.

The UN asked Bolivia to “identify, judge and sentence the people who ordered and carried out this serious act”.

It also deplored violent protests that have led to the deaths of three miners in the past few weeks.

The public prosecutor’s office formally accused six suspects on Saturday for the murder, including leader Carlos Mamani, president of the Fencomin national mining co-operative federation, which has been leading the protests. Mamani is accused of “murder, aggravated robbery, criminal organisation, unlawful possession and carrying, and attacks against members of state security”. The other five face charges as accomplices.

At the weekend, the judge ordered preventive detention for all six of them in a high-security prison.

Illanes was killed on Thursday after being taken hostage by protesting miners earlier in the day on the highway between La Paz and Oruro. Prior to the kidnapping, two people had died in clashes between striking miners and riot police near Cochabamba. A third person was killed in similar clashes before Illanes was found dead.

He died from blows to the head and body. His aide was also seriously injured.

Morales accused miners of spearheading a “political conspiracy” with backing from right-wing political groups and private corporations.

The conflict between striking miners and the government heated up last week when Fencomin workers blocked roads to protest government policies.