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Bolivia crisis death toll rises Bolivia military 'retakes Cobija'
(about 4 hours later)
Bolivia's government says the number of people killed in recent clashes between supporters of President Evo Morales and opposition groups has risen to 28. Bolivia's military has re-taken control of the provincial capital of Pando, where 30 have died in clashes between government supporters and opponents.
Interior Minister Alfredo Rada said a further 10 bodies had been found in Pando province following the "massacre" of pro-government farmers on Thursday. Defence Minister Walker San Miguel said a relative calm had been restored to Cobija, two days after the government declared a state of emergency there.
Pando Governor Leopoldo Fernandez has been accused of ordering the attack. The opposition wants President Evo Morales to postpone a referendum on a new constitution, due in December.
A state of emergency remains in the northern region, where troops have retaken control of the capital, Cobija. The ongoing crisis will be the focus of an emergency regional summit on Monday.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Chile called an emergency meeting of the Union of South American Nations to help promote a democratic solution to the crisis before it spreads throughout the region. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said she hoped the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) could help promote a democratic solution.
The government has a great ability to distort things, and its arguments are always the same - accusations without reason Pando Governor Leopoldo Fernandez class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7615560.stm">In Bolivia's opposition heartland "We cannot be idle in the face of the situation, provoking anxiety among us," she said.
The conflict has arisen over radical plans by President Morales to re-distribute the country's wealth and give a greater voice to the large indigenous community. The decision can have many serious effects and it seems that so far this hasn't been evaluated Philip GoldbergExpelled US Ambassador to Bolivia class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7615560.stm">In Bolivia's opposition heartland
It later escalated when Mr Morales expelled the US ambassador from Bolivia, accusing him of stoking anti-government sentiment. The US says the accusation is baseless. The crisis has arisen over plans by President Morales to re-distribute the country's wealth and give a greater voice to the large indigenous community.
It later escalated when Mr Morales expelled the US ambassador to Bolivia, Philip Goldberg, accusing him of stoking anti-government sentiment.
Speaking prior to leaving the country on Sunday, Mr Goldberg rejected the accusations and said the expulsion was a grave error.
"The decision can have many serious effects and it seems that so far this hasn't been evaluated," he warned.
'Killed like pigs''Killed like pigs'
Bolivia's government held talks with four opposition governors in the capital, Le Paz, overnight on Saturday in an effort to end the crisis. Earlier reports said they had reached a basic agreement, but the negotiations are now scheduled to reconvene later on Sunday. Bolivia's defence minister said troops regained control of Cobija in the northern jungle province of Pando early on Sunday.
Witnesses said the small city was quiet at midday with shops closed and government forces guarding its airfield and a military barracks.
One opposition leader has ordered the lifting of its roadblocks in Santa Cruz
The troops also continued to find bodies from a "massacre" of pro-government farm workers on Thursday, in which officials said nearly 30 people were killed.
On Saturday, President Morales ordered the arrest of Pando Governor Leopoldo Fernandez for allegedly orchestrating the attack, saying he had hired "Brazilian and Peruvian assassins" to carry out the "ambush".
Mr Fernandez has denied having anything to do with the deaths, insisting they were the result of clashes between rival groups.
The government has a great ability to distort things, and its arguments are always the same - accusations without reason Pando Governor Leopoldo Fernandez
Another two people were killed on Friday at Pando's main airfield as government troops opened fire to disperse opposition protesters.
One of the opposition leaders has meanwhile ordered the lifting of his supporters' widespread roadblocks in eastern Santa Cruz province, which have left the energy-rich area short of gas, oil and food.
Branko Marinkovic said the move was a "sign of good will" which could foster dialogue and prevent any more blood being spilled.
"We hope the government will also signal good will by ending this repression and genocide in the province of Pando," he added.
The BBC's Andres Schipani in Santa Cruz says Mr Marinkovic is considered by many to be the soul of Bolivia's radical opposition.
Talks continue
The announcement by Mr Marinkovic came ahead of a meeting in La Paz aimed at easing the tension between President Morales and a representative of the opposition, Tarija Governor Mario Cossio.
President Morales has said he is determined to continue talks to end the violence, but also vowed not to change his referendum plans.President Morales has said he is determined to continue talks to end the violence, but also vowed not to change his referendum plans.
Both the government and the opposition have appealed for calmBoth the government and the opposition have appealed for calm
Opposition leaders have meanwhile insisted that they will pull out if just one of their supporters is killed as government forces try to re-establish control in a number of eastern cities.Opposition leaders have meanwhile insisted that they will pull out if just one of their supporters is killed as government forces try to re-establish control in a number of eastern cities.
The BBC's Daniel Schweimler says that despite the negotiations, sporadic clashes between the two sides have continued and opposition groups still control many areas in the east. Both sides held negotiations in the capital overnight on Saturday in an effort to end the crisis. Earlier reports said they had reached a basic agreement.
Earlier, the interior minister earlier said a further 10 bodies had been found in Pando following Thursday's "massacre" of government supporters, in which 16 others were already known to have died. Before last week's violence, opposition groups had demanded the government cancel a constitutional referendum on 7 December that would give more power to indigenous and poor communities by carrying out land reform and redistributing gas revenues.
Mr Rada said the government had ordered the arrest of Governor Fernandez, who the president accused on Saturday of hiring "Brazilian and Peruvian assassins" to carry out the "ambush".
A local farmers' leader, Shirley Segovia, told Erbol radio that the victims "were killed like pigs, with machine guns, with rifles, with shotguns, with revolvers".
The Bolivian ambassador to the UK, Maria Beatriz Souviron Crespo, told the BBC that Mr Fernandez was "acting outside of the law".
"He's provoking violence in the region. We have lost many lives. And life is very precious, for this country, for this government, and for everybody," she said.
Mr Fernandez has denied having anything to do with the deaths, insisting they were the result of clashes between rival groups.
"The government has a great ability to distort things, and its arguments are always the same - accusations without reason," he told Radio Fides.
Another two people were killed on Friday at Pando's main airfield as government troops opened fire to disperse opposition protesters.
Opposition groups are demanding that the government cancel a planned constitutional referendum on 7 December that would give more power to indigenous and poor communities by carrying out land reform and redistributing gas revenues.
They and their supporters instead want greater autonomy as well as more control over revenues of natural gas in their areas.They and their supporters instead want greater autonomy as well as more control over revenues of natural gas in their areas.
Mr Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, has denounced those leading the protests as fascist and racist elements that are determined to overthrow him. Mr Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, has denounced the leaders of the opposition as fascist and racist elements that are determined to overthrow him.
He has also said he would not hesitate to extend the state of emergency in Pando to the other three opposition-controlled provinces in the east of the country.