2 dead in clash between police, protesters in central Bolivia

LA PAZ, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least two people died and nearly a dozen were injured on Monday when protesters clashed with police attempting to clear their roadblock to a solid waste dump in Colcapirhua, a municipality in central Bolivia's department of Cochabamba, according to local authorities.

The incident occurred at the Cotapachi landfill amid a conflict that has lasted more than 12 days, as local residents blocked access to the site to demand it be better contained.

Blocking the site has led to the accumulation of tonnes of garbage in the city of Cochabamba, putting pressure on the authorities to intervene.

Julio Cesar Orozco, director of the Dr. Benigno Sanchez hospital in the municipality of Quillacollo, confirmed the two deaths to local media. According to Orozco, among the injured are two police officers and two civilians with gunshot wounds, while others suffered bruises as a result of the escalating violence that began Monday morning.

Television reports indicate that police officers used tear gas to disperse the protesters, who responded with firecrackers and dynamite explosions.

Colcapirhua's mayor, Nelson Gallinate, attributed the violence to an "interest group" linked to agricultural interests in Cotapachi, and to economic motives, saying several of the protesters were not residents of the municipality.

Authorities are not ruling out further intervention to try to restore access to the landfill, while community organizations are demanding answers regarding the two deaths. ■