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(CNN Spanish) - The Bolivian government condemned the expulsion of a contingent of policemen who arrived this Thursday in the Chapare area in the tropics of Cochabamba to carry out security tasks and enforce the quarantine determined by the Executive in the health emergency for the coronavirus pandemic, and he was violently expelled from that region by groups of coca growers on Thursday night.
The policemen who were on a mission to give security to the population did not use any type of weapons or chemical agents to prevent the violence from increasing, according to the government ministers, Arturo Murillo, and the defense ministers, Fernando López, who repudiated the acts.
López assured that “the Armed Forces are in solidarity with the National Police. We repudiate and reject these acts of violence, but aligned with the work that has been carried out, we will continue to care for the lives of all Bolivians. ”
Murillo blamed the coca growers leaders and some mayors of the region related to former President Evo Morales for the violence generated against the police, and announced that they will take legal measures against those responsible for the violence and the violation of the health quarantine against covid-19.
"These criminals have risked their population by generating crowds, they have wanted to flog police and this obviously we will not allow. The Police Command is filing a complaint and I also ordered the Ministry of Government to make the corresponding criminal complaints, "said the head of the Government.
The acts of violence were recorded in the town of Shinahota, hours after the leadership of the coca sector, through Homar Claros, secretary general of the Federation of the Tropic of Cochabamba, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the police to leave that region because they consider that their arrival was not agreed with that sector.
Claros affirmed that they are “hurt” by what happened in November 2019 during the social and political crisis that Bolivia lived through, when the population blocked the entrance to several cities for 21 days, causing the military leadership to ask for the resignation of the then President Evo Morales on November 11, 2019.
The coca grower leader also clarified "that the bases are putting pressure on the leaders and municipal authorities of that area so that the police do not remain there."
The vice president of the 7 federations, Andrónico Rodríguez, said on Friday, through the Kawsachun Coca cocaine radio, that the expulsion of the police was a product of a "spontaneous and natural" reaction of the population and that it was not promoted by the urban leaders or neighborhood civic committees, and much less of the sector unions or federations.
The leader held the police responsible for what happened and said that he had to coordinate his entry into the Chapare area through the Armed Forces with the federations and the mayors.
For their part, the authorities assured that they will not allow attempts to reactivate the violence in that area.