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Bolivia sees anti-Morales strikes Violence mars Bolivian protests
(about 10 hours later)
Strikes and protests are taking place in five of Bolivia's nine provinces against President Evo Morales's plans to redistribute natural gas revenues. Anti-government protesters in Bolivia have clashed with supporters of leftist President Evo Morales, during a general strike against his policies.
The five departments, located in the wealthier eastern lowlands, want to retain a greater share of the money. Hundreds of police officers took to the streets of the city of Santa Cruz to break up violent confrontations.
The strikes come 10 days after a referendum re-affirmed both President Morales' mandate and those of four of his main political rivals. Activists in five of Bolivia's nine regions went on strike, protesting over Mr Morales's plans to share natural gas revenues with poorer provinces.
Large numbers of police and troops are on duty around some public buildings. Some provinces have recently campaigned for greater autonomy from La Paz.
Repeated attempts at dialogue between the government and the opposition governors in the eastern provinces have failed to produce any agreement. The bubbling crisis led to a national referendum on the positions of Mr Morales and the governors of the five provinces opposed to the president.
The 10 August referendum, which saw both Mr Morales and four governors confirmed in office by large margins did nothing to ease the political deadlock in the country. Voters gave overwhelming backing to Mr Morales in the 10 August ballot.
The latest strikes are another indication that the current political impasse is no nearer a solution and concern is growing that without compromise by both sides, Bolivia will be trapped in a debilitating crisis, says the BBC's Latin America analyst James Painter. But they also approved the opposition governors - doing nothing to ease the political deadlock.
Public order Growing concern
The government has deployed large numbers of police and military personnel around some government buildings, fearing that some strikers may try to occupy them. Police fired tear gas into the crowds during clashes in Santa Cruz, the nation's business capital.
President Morales' Chief Minister, Juan Ramon Quintana, said the police and the army were ready to control public order if necessary. Anti-government demonstrators carrying baseball bats and shields fought with Morales supporters in a poor neighbourhood of the city.
"This civil stoppage represents a severe threat of violence, and promises to descend into acts of violence and intimidation", he told reporters on Monday. Local television showed pictures of youths clashing with police and journalists in other parts of the city.
An anti-Morales march on Saturday saw police fire tear gas at protestors. In Tarija, the province holding much of the country's natural gas reserves, a small group of protesters was reported to have stormed and occupied a government building.
The governor of Santa Cruz, Ruben Costas, said that President Morales was responsible for the clashes, accusing him of being "the real criminal". One-day strikes were held in Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, Tarija and Chuquisaca provinces.
Bolivia's four other provinces, where Mr Morales enjoys huge popularity, did not hold strikes.
The governors of the five provinces opposed to Mr Morales want him to stop taking energy revenues previously earmarked for their provinces to pay for a national pension scheme.
But he argues that they can afford to help with anti-poverty programmes because their coffers swelled after he increased taxes on energy companies in 2006.
Repeated attempts at dialogue between the government and the governors have failed to produce any agreement.
The strikes are another indication that the current deadlock is no nearer a solution, says the BBC's Latin America analyst James Painter.
Concern is growing that without compromise by both sides, Bolivia will be trapped in a debilitating crisis, our correspondent adds.
The latest violence comes just days after another anti-Morales march in Santa Cruz saw police fire tear gas at protesters.
The province's governor, Ruben Costas, said the president was responsible for the clashes, accusing him of being "the real criminal".