ConflictBarometer_2016

THE AMERICAS
Alan Duncan stateda''positive relationship” between the two
countries.
On September 20, in his first speech at the UN General Assembly,
Macri called on the UK to accept an open and amicable
new dialog to resolve the sovereignty dispute over
the islands. Along the sidelines of the assembly, Macri and
newly-appointed UK Prime Minister Theresa May informally
discussed the topic and May agreed to revise the issue. The
following day, Duncan and Malcorra published a joint communiqué
stating their will to increase cooperation in numerous
areas such as defense, trade and development of the South
Atlantic islands. Moreover, they agreed on the extension of
flights between the Falklands/Malvinas and Argentina and announced
to increase efforts to speed up the DNA identification
process for unknown Argentinean soldiers killed during
the 1982 Falklands War. she
BOLIVIA (SOCIOECONOMIC PROTESTS)
Intensity: 3 | Change: | Start: 1983
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
societal groups vs. government
system/ideology, resources
The socioeconomic conflict over the orientation of the political
system and resources continued on the level of a violent
crisis. Involved parties consisted of the National Mining Cooperatives
Federation (FENCOMIN) and the Bolivian Workers'
Center (COB), on the one hand, and the government, on the
other.
In June and August, the parliament discussed alaw permitting
the formation oflabor unions within cooperatives. FEN-
COMIN, a close ally of the president, opposed these plans
fearing to lose influence.
On August 10, miners blocked the highway between the cities
Oruro and Cochabamba, in the eponymous departments, calling
on the government to include FENCOMIN's ten demands
in the law. In violent encounters, protesters used dynamite
while security forces employed firearms and tear gas. In Mantecani,
La Paz department, more than 1,000 miners blocked
roads, which led to clashes in which protesters took 47 police
officers hostage, and approx. 90 protesters were detained.
After days of nationwide violent confrontations, media reported
a total of 66 injured police officers as well as 252 injured
members of cooperatives on August 12. One day later,
protesters stopped the blockades and entered negotiations
with the government. These bore no results. President Evo
Morales promulgated the disputed Law 149/16 on August 19,
after which FENCOMIN intensified their protests.
Between August 23 and 25, clashes escalated. Police shot
dead two miners in Sayari, Cochabamba, and another two
miners in Panduro, La Paz. One miner accidentally killed himself
while manipulating dynamites. On August 25, protesters
took Deputy Interior Minister Rodolfo Illanes hostage in Panduro.
The next day, his body was found on ahighway in
Panduro. He had been tortured and beaten to death by
protesters. National Ombudsman David Tezano blamed the
police for inciting violence with their use of weapons. However,
the government claimed that the miners had provoked
the police on purpose. On September 1, Morales issued five
107
new decrees, including stricter rules for cooperatives. The
government identified and imprisoned Angel Arapaya as the
perpetrator of the murder of Illanes on October 15. They also
imprisoned at least twelve members of cooperatives, whereas
the killing of five miners did not lead to prosecution. On October
26, the president and FENCOMIN resumed dialog.
The country's main umbrella workers' union COB confronted
the government on socioeconomic issues as well. In June,
COB supported the protests offormer employees from the
state-owned textile company Enatex which had been closed
due to losses on May 17. On June 20, more than 1,000
protesters started nationwide protests and roadblocks. After
days of clashes, leaving at least four police officers wounded
in Cochabamba, Morales announced two decrees on July
6, protecting Enatex employees, which calmed down the
protests.
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BRAZIL (DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS)
Intensity: 4 | Change: | Start: 2010
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
drug trafficking organizations, militias
vs. government
subnational predominance
The conflict over subnational predominance between the
main drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) Amigos dos Amigos
(ADA), Comando Vermelho (CV), and Primeiro Comando
da Capital (PCC), and militias, on the one hand, and the government,
on the other, escalated toalimited war.
The number of confrontations between DTOs and security
forces in the favelas of Río de Janeiro, capital of the eponymous
state, increased, especially in the run-up to the Río
2016 Summer Olympic Games. In the first half of the year,
43 police officers were killed and 192 wounded in clashes.
Between January and November, around 400 DTO members
were killed in confrontations with police in the state. During
several operations in the favela Complexo de Chapadão between
January 1 and April 29, Military Police (PM) allegedly
killed ten ADA and CV members and arrested 27. On January
7, following a shootout, PM arrested six ADA members
in the favela Complexo da Pedreira. On February 4, police
killed four DTO members when they entered the favela São
Gonçalo to conduct an APC-supported anti-drug operation.
Between May 6and 8, PM arrested seven alleged CV members
and confiscated 224 bags of cocaine and money in the
towns of Barroso, Meudon, and São Pedro, Río de Janeiro
state. On October 10, a shootout with DTO members in the
Pavão-Pavãozinho favela left three police officers dead. On
November 20, alleged CV members and PM clashed in the
favela Cidade de Deus, leaving seven DTO members and five
police officers dead. The next day, four CV members were
killed in shootouts involving 150 police officers in the favela