Recurrent miner stand-offs will endure in Bolivia

Significance

The government's dispute with mining cooperatives has produced violent confrontations. While the government is standing its ground, claiming that the protesters' demands violate constitutional norms, Concobol has extended its original list of demands, from ten to 24, and has devolved responsibility for the organisation of demonstrations to individual federations in an effort to foster new protest methods.

Impacts

• The police will become increasingly impatient with the unrest, raising the risk of excessive use of force.
• Road blocks will alienate public opinion quickly when they begin to cause shortages of key goods.
• While Concobol's extended list of demands appears to complicate matters, it may provide more leeway in negotiations.