Teachers observe strike with blockades in some regions, government warns of discounts

 In some regions of the country, teachers are observing this Friday a 24-hour strike with blockades and road closures, demanding a greater number of items and more budget for education in the country. In response, the Government warned that discounts will be given to teachers who do not work.

In Santa Cruz there are blockades, particularly in the municipality of La Guardia, where the double road that connects with Camiri remains closed, according to the report of Tv Digital La Guardia.

Another road that was closed is the highway that connects Santa Cruz with Tarija, at the crossroads of Campo Pajoso. This measure is being followed by the Urban Teachers of Yacuiba, who demand attention to their demands such as a higher budget, reported La Voz de Yacuiba.

The general secretary of the Urban Teachers of Bolivia, Patricio Molina, said Friday that the pressure measures are complied with after the general assembly decided to reject the counterproposal of the Ministry of Education, which proposed a higher workload in exchange for items.

"We do not have a closed or biased position in asking for a total of 10,000 items, we ask for an effort from the Government, some more items and some more budget for those teachers who work with free hours or who are paid by parents," he said in contact with Unitel.

On the other hand, the Vice Minister of Regular Education, Bartolomé Puma, warned that the Government will apply discounts to teachers who follow the strike.

You can also read: Without progress, teachers reject the government's counteroffer and ratify the strike this Friday.

"Nowhere in the world are paid those who do not work, salary that is paid with resources of Bolivians. We call on the educators to attend their work sources this Friday and not to leave aside the restarting of school work in person, which has recently been applied throughout the country", demanded Puma.

The president of the Roboré Civic Committee, Rubén Darío Arias, stated that the sector joined the teachers' protest and that they had decided to close the route of the Bioceanic corridor. 

"We hope that the government can respond to the demands of the urban teachers regarding the historical deficit of items and improve the salaries of the teachers who are in charge of educating the citizens of the country", said the civic representative.

In Oruro and Potosí, roads were also reported closed. While at the Machacamarquita crossing, in the municipality of Huanuni, a road that connects Oruro with Potosí, a certain number of vehicles are already at a standstill, around 500 people belonging to the Urban Teachers' Union of Oruro are blocking several neighboring cities such as Llallagua. The carriers are looking for alternative routes.

The Government headquarters, on the other hand, concentrated a large group of demonstrators from different parts of the country. With different departmental banners, the protesters marched through the center of the city of La Paz.