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Bolivian minister kidnapped, beaten to death by striking miners ‘Brutal and cowardly murder’: Bolivia says minister beaten to death by striking miners
(about 3 hours later)
Tensions are running high in Bolivia, where striking mineworkers apparently kidnapped and then killed Deputy Interior Minister, Rodolfo Illanes, who went out to negotiate with the protesters. The 56-year-old official’s demise has been confirmed by the government. A senior Bolivian politician has been beaten to death by an angry mob of striking mineworkers, officials say. Rodolfo Illanes was reported to have gone to try to negotiate with the protesters, who subsequently kidnapped and killed him.
“All signs indicate that our Deputy Minister #RodolfoIllanes was cowardly assassinated,” Bolivian Minister of Government, Carlos Romero, was quoted as saying on official Twitter account of the Ministry of Communications. The alleged murder took place on Thursday evening in Panduro, which is 160 kilometers from the Bolivian capital of La Paz. Minister of Government Carlos Romero said that Illanes had gone to talk to the demonstrators, but was kidnapped by the striking miners.
Initial reports of Illanes’ fate cited the account of the director of a mining radio station, Moises Flores.“We have been able to see close up that vice-minister Illanes was dead. Colleagues told us that he had died of a beating,” Flores told local radio. “At this present time, all the indications are that our deputy minister Rodolfo Illanes has been brutally and cowardly murdered,” he said, as cited by Reuters. 
Flores also suggested that Illanes’ murder might have been a response to the deaths of three miners during the protests. The director of a mining radio station, Moises Flores, wrote on his Twitter account that there has been visual conformation that Illanes was killed.
Earlier, the government said that Illanes had been kidnapped and faced the risk of torture in Panduro, which is located 160 kilometers from the capital La Paz. “We have been able to see close up that vice-minister Illanes was dead. Colleagues told us that he had died of a beating,” Flores told local radio.
The official’s death likely occurred sometime between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time, Romero said.The government has asked the Justice Ministry to investigate the killing and bring those responsible to justice. Flores also suggested that Illanes’ might have been killed in response to the deaths of three miners who died during the protests.
In the meantime, authorities have been rounding up and detaining miners, according to social media accounts. The government is now in the process of trying to retrieve his body and “around 100 people have been arrested," according to Defense Minister Reymi Ferreira. The Justice Ministry has also been asked to investigate the case. 
The miners’ protest turned violent earlier this week after a highway blockade. Two workers were shot dead by police in the scuffles on Wednesday and 17 police officers were injured. Tensions have been running high in the South American country since Wednesday, when two workers who were blocking a highway were killed by police. The authorities said that 17 police officers had been injured in the confrontations. 
The National Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia (FENCOMIN) organized the miners’ protest following failed negotiation attempts over changes to mining legislation. The protesters are demanding greater mining concessions from the government that would lead to a relaxation of strict environmental legislation, as well as better union representation and the right to work for private companies. 
Miners are calling for more concessions from the government, including the right to work for private companies and better union representation. The vast majority of miners in Bolivia work in cooperatives and earn a meager living producing silver, tin, and zinc.
The strike was organized by the National Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia (FENCOMIN) after negotiations failed. The organization had once been one of President Evo Morales’ staunchest allies.
Morales has seen his support amongst the unions fall due to accusations of cronyism and authoritarianism. The Bolivian president had been popular for increasing public and welfare spending, but those initiatives have been curbed due to a drop in the price of natural gas, which accounts for around half of the country’s exports.