Bolivian president abrogates Mother Law in favor of peace and coexistence

Bolivian President Luis Arce held a meeting this Saturday with several trade unions where he announced the abrogation of the so-called Law 1386, also known as the Mother Law, which is used by extremist groups to destabilize the country.

"We have taken the decision to repeal Law 1386, in order to pave the way so that there is no longer any pretext to continue mistreating, mourning and paralyzing our economy," said Luis Arce.

Likewise, the Bolivian president explained that although social movements called for the debate of the Law, extremist sectors used it to generate destabilization.  "There is a political agenda in this questioning of the Law.  We have heard the agreements signed between the ministers who have traveled to the nine departments with social organizations where there are proposals to modify articles of the Law," he emphasized.

"We do not want more anxiety, more pain for the Bolivian families.  We want to have peace of mind so that work can resume and we can continue to build the economy," reiterated President Arce.

Several worker's union representatives expressed their defense of democracy and constitutionality of the Andean country.  And, at the same time, they warned that the so-called civic committees (led by members of the extreme right) intend to carry out another coup d'état.

"Do not be fooled.  It is not the laws.  The objective is to destabilize our Government.  Their objective is to carry out a second coup d'état and the organizations are not going to allow it," emphasized the Executive Secretary of the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), Juan Carlos Huarachi,

Huarachi emphasized that the social movements remain alert to violent calls from extremist groups.  "Now we realize that it was not Law 1386.  It is only an instrument to destabilize our government, our country and organizations," he said.

Law 1386 of the National Strategy to Fight against the Legitimization of Illicit Gains and Financing of Terrorism was approved last August and its objective was to prosecute citizens who incur in money laundering.

This measure, which contained seven articles, was rejected by some social sectors, since it was alleged that it would allow the head of state to have "greater power to make financial intelligence," a slogan that has been used by civic committees (co-participants of the coup d'état against Evo Morales) to call for blockades and stall the process of economic reactivation that the country is carrying out.

In spite of the fact that President Arce summoned socioeconomic associations to a great dialogue, the representatives of the civic committees rejected the invitation and continued with road blockades, affecting the daily life of the inhabitants, especially in Cochabamba (epicenter of the blockade).