Revolt in Bolivia, 2005

I planned to tour Bolivia, but after leaving Peru, I ran into a blockade of all roads by the campesinos. they were protesting the failure of the government to implement the Hydrocarbons Law which returned ownership to the state of all hydrocarbons and natural resources.Increased demonstrations resulted in the resignation of the President, an early election and replacement by Evo Morales, in the December 2005 elections. President Morales began implementing the changes demanded by the protestors.I took advantage of the first blockade, by staying in Tiwanaku and touring the PreColumbian site before making my way to La Paz by walking, catching a minivan, riding a cart pulled by a bicycle and more walking.Once in La Paz I saw there were more than 10,000 Aymara peasant farmers from the twenty highland provinces who came down from El Alto to protest in the streets of La Paz.After two days, the protests leaders called for a truce, so I was able to catch a bus to Cochabamba. Once in Cochabamba, I was greeted by more protests along with the annual Heroinas de la Coronilla festival. I then caught a bus on the way to Saipina to see the library that was dedicated to my niece, Krista Hunt Ausland. She had helped villagers, especially the women, to improve their conditions by working with the women’s cooperative and agricultural cooperative. In May 1998, she died in a bus that plunged over a cliff.I caught a bus back to La Paz from Cochabamba, but a 7 hour bus ride turned into a 22 hour bus adventure.Since I would not be able to travel in Bolivia and over 50,000 protestors were blockading all roads, and were about to shut down the airport, I decided to end my Bolivia Adventure by catching a plane to Peru.These protests would grow in size and intensity culminating in over a half a million protestors by June 6th, the day President Carlos Mesa resigned.Evo Morales has implemented socialist policies in the country by introducing land reforms, nationalizing