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The clashes erupted when police and the military began unblocking a refinery in El Alto on November 19, 2019. REUTERS / David Mercado

Three people died Tuesday in clashes between protesters and the Bolivian army clearing a refinery blocked by supporters of Evo Morales, bringing to 27 the number of deaths in violence since the beginning of the crisis in the Andean country.

The toll of violence in Bolivia has further increased this Tuesday after clashes in El Alto, in the suburbs of La Paz. " It was noted the death of three people, including two by gunshot, " told Agence France-Presse spokesperson of the Defender of the People, a public body responsible for protecting the rights and freedoms of Bolivians. " We are asking the authorities to open an investigation, " he added. Thirty people were injured in these clashes, he said.

These three deaths bring to 27 the number of people killed in the violence that has shaken the country since the beginning of the political crisis a month ago and the controversial election of Evo Morales to a fourth term. The clashes on Tuesday broke out in Senkata. The police and the army intervened to unblock the refinery's access for a little less than a week by demonstrators, resulting in a serious shortage of fuels in the capital.

They wanted to express their rejection of Jeanine Añez, the interim president of Bolivia who took the reins of the Andean country 48 hours after the resignation of Evo Morales on November 10. Images broadcast on television showed the police using tear gas to keep protesters away from trying to oppose the unblocking of the refinery.

A few hours after the clashes, citizens were still angry and shocked. " We are being killed here. We are no longer free, we can no longer express ourselves as we want. It's not going at all, we live in dictatorship, "denounced one of them at the microphone of our correspondent Alice Campaignolle . Many consider that the use of force was not reasoned, like this health professional: " I was giving first aid to a wounded man and I was shot at. Are you going to tell me that they can not recognize a doctor with his blouse looking after the wounded? "

Unlocking the Senkata refinery in violence - Report 20/11/2019 - by Alice Campaignolle Play

shortages

In addition to fuel, food distribution is affected by dams around La Paz and El Alto, with shortages in the capital. The municipality and chicken farmers organized a kind of airlift to overcome these blockages. Trucks filled with chicken, red meat and eggs are now placed at several points of the city to supply the inhabitants. But still it is necessary to be patient.

In many neighborhoods, endless queues stretch along the sidewalks. Each person carries a number on his hand, his place in the queue to buy a chicken. " There must be about 900 chickens. They come from Santa Cruz by plane , says Pastor Flores, the truck driver who transported them to the city center. We hope that's enough for everyone. Because it's difficult to get off the airport so far because of road blocks. It's dangerous. They throw stones at us, they block the way. "

In the queue, David accuses the former president of putting oil on fire since his exile in Mexico and to encourage these blocks of roads around La Paz. " He made us fight between Bolivians. It lacks chicken, vegetables, it lacks almost everything you need to live well. We must endure that by defending democracy. We do not want more of this dictator, "he goes on with our special correspondent Marie Normand .

In La Paz, big queues to buy a chicken - report 20/11/2019 - by Marie Normand Listen

Dialogue

Since the resignation of Evo Morales, the country's first indigenous president, his supporters have been demonstrating daily in the streets of La Paz and some provincial towns demanding the departure of self-proclaimed president Jeanine Añez. On Monday evening, the police, escorted by the army, fired tear gas against several thousand pro-Morales demonstrators in a locality near Cochabamba (center) where nine peasants were killed during clashes on Friday.

In an attempt to calm the game, Jeanine Añez has promised presidential and legislative elections in the near future, without, however, putting forward a date. While supporters of Evo Morales continue to exert pressure on the street, the interim government is participating in a dialogue initiated Monday by the Church that brings together parties and civil society.

Bishop Eugenio Scarpellini, Bishop of the diocese of El Alto, presents himself as a "facilitator" of the dialogue between the government and the Evo Morales MAS party on behalf of the Episcopal Conference. He denies that this dialogue has so far been a failure:

" There were dialogues. But not all parties together. I can say that this dialogue will continue. Yes, the important topics of the moment will be discussed, such as the new elections and the Electoral Tribunal. It is not easy. We know that former President Evo Morales still plays an important role. We know that he is in touch with the people who are here, so a lot of things also depend on that relationship to get things done a little bit. I perceived from several politicians that they were concerned about their own security and their own interests, under cover of a concern for the country. "

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