Source: Bolivia Diary
For the second time in 8 months a march by representatives of indigenous movements arrived in La Paz to demand a road does not cut through the TIPNIS indigenous territory and national park. There were definitely fewer people yesterday compared to when the first march got here in October but there were still thousands of people lining the streets to welcome the marchers who covered 600km since they left Trinidad in Bolivia´s Amazon in April. The indigenous leaders of the march have said they will not leave La Paz until they have guarantees a road will not go through the TIPNIS. It remains to be seen if they will be as successful as last time when they pressured the Evo Morales government to pass a law banning any road through the TIPNIS. The Bolivian government is determined to build the road so the next few days will be crucial to see if there is a dialogue and if an agreement is reached. Last night the Bolivian government said it was willing to begin a dialogue.
For now the marchers are in mourning because this morning a 6 month old baby died from a fever due to the harsh cold (it is the coldest time of year in La Paz). In the last few days the marchers has been sleeping outside at an altitude of around 4,000 metres above sea level as they got closer to La Paz.
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