Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sucre (Agenzia Fides) - Faced with the gravity of clashes in recent days the Bishops' Conference of Bolivia issued statements on the 23 and the 25 November expressing deep concern and calling on the people to put aside violence, to have respect for life, to stop all violence and find paths to reconciliation.
The Constituent Assembly of Bolivia resumed its sessions on Friday 23 November amidst clashes between demonstrators and the police. The sessions had been paralysed by protests since August 15: the protesters want the national government to be moved from La Paz to Sucre, the legal capital of Bolivia, the see of the Judiciary, whereas the see of the Legislative and Government has been La Paz since the second half of the 19th century.
The members of the assembly, 136 out of 255 elected in July, approved the new constitutional text. Now it must be approved article by article and ratified with a referendum. In clashes during the sessions three people were killed and 130 injured.
"It is irresponsible to maintain an atmosphere of confrontation and use pressure groups without offering an contribution with honesty and transparency, to solve the nation's problems" the Bishops say. "It is against human and Christian principles to use human necessities and aspirations for political gain and to use certain social groups as pressure ".
The Bishops appeal to the conflicting groups, reminding them "this is not the way to building a future for Bolivia", because "wounds and blood sow hatred and will continue to divide us". They call on the political leaders “to promote reconciliation and the good of the country". They express sympathy to families who have lost a member. They ask people of peace to remain in their position and not to lose hope "because peace can be built with dialogue and respect for the life and dignity of every person, in the search for the common good and attention for those most in need in society”.
The Bishops expressed concern also in Sunday homilies on 25 November. Bishop Sergio Gualerti, auxiliary of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, questioned the validity of a constitution born in a context of violence. Bishop Jesús Juárez of El Alto, made a firm call for peace, reconciliation and unity , "that we may live as brothers and sisters… may confrontation stop and there be no more hatred, rancour and racism". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 26/11/2007; righe 36, parole 507)
