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Orlando Gutiérrez: “the people are active” | Washed…

He was a teenager when he was first photographed with the guy from the sinkhole. In the Andean miners worldview, the uncle is the devil, a kind of demon with horns, sharp fangs and pointed ears. A figure that receives offerings of drinks, food, coca leaves and cigarettes in exchange for giving protection. Orlando Gutiérrez spent fifteen years in the depths of the Colquiri mines, in the Inquisivi province, department of La Paz. Arguably, he was working underground while mining tin and zinc. Today it is the maximum referent of the Federation of Trade Unions of Mining Workers of Bolivia (FSTMB). A key man in the union’s support for the candidacy of Luis Arce Catacora, the economist who on September 6 – whenever the elections are held – will try to return the presidency to the MAS led by Evo Morales. Page 12 He spoke with him in these days of unleashed pandemic and setback in living conditions for the labor movement in his country.

-On July 10, eight months of the civil-military coup d’etat. What reflection do you make of what happened so far in Bolivia?

– It has been disastrous for our history. But at the same time it is something that will teach us to take care of what we have not been able to defend at the time. Today we make an assessment of this illegitimate government and say that it is a disaster. Notice that Defense Minister Luis Fernando López, a former military man, a bloody man, threatened a citizen with making him disappear in ten seconds if he wanted to. They awarded him: to his position in Defense they added that of Minister of Health.

– In that the government of Jeanine Añez resembles that of Jair Bolsonaro who also appointed a military minister as Health, right?

Yes, we know that neoliberal policies have been imposed in America, they have invaded the continent. Suddenly Bolivia was one of the countries that was enduring this shock with the government of Comrade Evo and now we are trying to regain democracy. We want to rip it from the hands of the coup leaders, puppets of the North American government and also, in less than a year. With the unity and fighting power of the people. And that is something that for me, who was a mining worker fifteen years in the Bolivian subsoil, is a great responsibility. Hopefully no action will have to be taken, but if they force us, the people are prepared to rise to the highest level of rebellion.

– The Mining Federation that you lead is part of the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), how much have you influenced the confrontation strategy with the coup regime?

– If we talk about miners we are talking about the history of Bolivia. If we talk about the creation of the glorious Federation of Trade Unions of Mining Workers of Bolivia, it is the backbone of the COB. We consider ourselves a spearhead in the fight. So unfortunately we have many martyrs and it is what our ancestors have taught us, our legacy. They have left us that unique principle of struggle to avoid being more oppressed by neoliberal and capitalist governments.

-In their miners’ helmets, on the banners, on the flags, they always bear the image of Che Guevara. It even appears in the acts that the COB does. What is the significance of 53 years after your murder in Bolivia for you?

Commander Ernesto means a lot to socialist ideas and to the principles of dignity and sovereignty. It is what we have learned in the fight for a Guevara Bolivia, to fight against oppression. We are not violent, those who generate social inequality are violent and not those who fight against it. That is why the image of our Che Guevara will always be present in the mining meetings. As an emblem of the COB, our federation and many Bolivian institutions.

-On last Tuesday the workers’ movement marched across the country. Is it the beginning of a fight plan?

-It was a previous warm-up. We cannot leave people sleepy. We lived fourteen years of government with our partner Evo Morales. We really had problems, differences, even some sporadic mobilizations. But with this blow we have been surprised. We know that elections are just around the corner and we know the tricks of the dirty in government. But the town is active.

– You were victim of a fake news when they made you happen through a soldier who had taken off the whipala of the uniform?

-I’m ugly, but not so ugly. It is funny but ridiculous. I have a height of 1.78 and the police officer who was a sergeant, or corporal, was no more than 1.60. Also, we never would and this has been a part of the dirty war that continues to this day. Whoever speaks to him continues to be harassed and it is because suddenly they want to make us afraid, to silence us. We had a meeting in the city of El Alto and you will not believe me, but a helicopter passed three times through the same place where we were gathered. They think that people are going to scare them. We have always said so, but here with the workers and miners that does not exist. The people are very confident.

– What happened to the different MAS formulas, your pairing with David Choquehuanca, then the appearance of Andrónico Rodríguez and finally the formula headed by Luis Arce Catacora?

-I am the leader of a new generation, the youngest executive of the Federation of Miners and I feel very proud when in an expanded COB they defined that we should have a candidate for the vice presidency and thanks to the union and advocacy work we do, it came out my name. At that moment a good leader appeared, Andrónico Rodriguez del Chapare, from the peasant movement, like me who represents the Bolivian labor movement, so there were some problems, I cannot deny it, many people who argued and did not want to fight to get me a charge. Hopefully later we can consolidate bigger things for the benefit of our beloved Bolivia.

-You represent the COB, Andronicus to the peasants, and who does the candidate for president Luis Arce Catacora represent?

-The candidacy of our colleague Lucho comes from extensive analysis and is for the economic issue, for the accompaniment he has had with our colleague Evo. So who better than him so that he can strengthen the economy. Because the four or five years that come are going to be to rebuild it.

-What has been the damage to the purchasing power of the average worker in Bolivia in these eight months of the government of Jeanine Añez?

-We have practically decreased more than 70, 60 percent in what is the purchasing value and why? Who previously bought ten things with 100 Bolivians, today only buys four. In the mining sector since the closure of borders there are no exports, no imports, we are looking at how to survive, even to collect wages, and unfortunately Decree 4272 came out, which is practically the closure and privatization of state companies.

– What reflection do you make about the group of former officials who have been sheltered in the Mexican embassy since the coup?

-I have already told our colleague Evo when I have gone to Buenos Aires two or three times. And the same to the brothers who are in the Mexican embassy and outside of Bolivia. The only way for us to get everyone out of the embassy is to regain power. Winning the national elections on September 6 and I am sure that we will do it. I imagine what the reception for Evo will be like at the El Alto airport. This is a class-conscious project and today we are demonstrating it by putting our lives at risk or being persecuted and threatened. We are at the forefront and we are going to fulfill our objective without seeking anything in return. If we win the elections I will say mission accomplished.

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