Former Bolivian President to Pay Damages for 2003 Indigenous Massacre
HAVANA TIMES – The former president of Bolivia, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, and his former defense minister have agreed to pay damages to the families of eight people killed during a 2003 massacre in the largely Indigenous Aymara city of El Alto. The murders happened as massive Indigenous-led protests erupted across Bolivia against a proposed pipeline in what became known as the Gas War. One plaintiff in the case was Teófilo Baltazar Cerro, whose pregnant wife was killed by a bullet fired through the wall of a house. He said, “I feel proud that Aymara Bolivians showed the world that no leader, no matter how rich or powerful they are, has absolute impunity.” The U.S. case against Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada was brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights.