[HCDX] Status of Radio Illimani, Bolivia

[Don Moore <donmooredxer@xxxxxxxxx>]

A news article tells of riots in downtown La Paz. Several large government 
buildings in the center of La Paz have been abandoned to rioters. The
government broadcaster, Radio Illimani, was located in one of those buildings
when I visited them in 1985, and they were still there a few years ago...
probably still are. The article is at

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=589&e=5&u=/ap/20030213/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/bolivia_police_mutiny

If that direct link is broken and does not work, try this index link

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index2&cid=734

Such violence is not new to central La Paz. I remember that a block away from
Radio Illimani and in front of the presidential palace was a 1940s style
lamppost that merited a 24 hour military guard. In 1947, rioters drug the
country's then dictator out of the presidential palace and lynched him from
that lamppost. From what I've read, he probably deserved what he got, but the
Bolivian army didn't take it too well, so the lamppost became a shrine. The
presidential palace is called the "Palacio Quemado", or "Burnt Palace" for what
should be obvious reasons. During the successful 1952 revolution, Radio
Illimani was quickly captured and became the rebels' communications center as
fighting continued just two blocks away for three more days. For more on the
often violent history of Bolivian radio, see my article 
"Bolivia: Radio Under the Gun" at
http://donmoore.tripod.com/south/bolivia/miners.html



=====
Don Moore   ---   donmooredxer@xxxxxxxxx      <<<< NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS       
Radio & Latin American website: http://donmoore.tripod.com  
Other Highly Recommended: http://www.commondreams.org/
                                           http://www.tompaine.com/

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