We openly denounce that the racist-fascist and violent factions have once again attacked the dignity of our people, its culture and the memory of our dead.

Yesterday at dawn, the chakana (Andean cross) that we had erected as a homage to January 11th’s fallen and to our people’s resistance, was destroyed by “the Democratic Youth.” These men perpetrated this act in compliance their institutions (the Governor’s office, the Civic Committee) who just days before had made declarations to the press, making light of our monument and threatening to tear it down.

We demand that these acts of vandalism by the governor’s office not be granted impunity.

The destruction of our culture’s symbols—and the complete lack of respect for our dead—is a rightwing strategy to erase Juan Tikacolque and Luciano Colque and the over 200 injured by the Democratic Youth movement’s sticks, bats and bullets from our collective memory.

As long as we the people remain standing and fighting, the 80 who died during the Gas War, Victor Hugo Daza (assassinated during the Water War) and the billions of indigenous massacred from the colonial period on will never be forgotten.

On the night of July 16th, several people, voluntarily and spontaneously gathered at the site of the fallen monument, raising it once again in an act of protest and repudiation of fascist aggression. However, we want to make public that the Democratic Youth—in a car with license plate number 1449LSP—arrived to intimidate, insult and humiliate us.

After the act, several of our compañeros were ambushed near the intersection of España and Mayor Rocha while on their way home. They were followed by the same people who had harassed us near the monument; these men threatened the group, but specifically the women, with baseball bats. Yelling “Dirty indians, we’re going to kill you,” they pursued our friends for several blocks, threatening to beat them with bats until, upon seeing that people were leaving their houses to condemn the actions, the aggresors fled. This is a clear demonstration of the racism and intolerant hatred of certain Democratic Youth who believe that we are still living in the times of masters and servants.

As was demonstrated on January 11th, the rightwing uses only massacre, violence, destruction, hate and contempt to defend its interests. This persecution and the fact that freedom of expression was taken hostage during the July 11th event [commemorating the 6th month anniversary of January 11th], the destruction of our chakana (an ancient, ancestral Andean philosophic symbol) on July 16th and the intimidation and death threats show that we are living in a state of consistent aggression. This aggression aims to silence us and to make invisible our denouncements of Cochabamba’s fascist movement’s racism and abuse.

After January 11th, legitimate protest by the people has been criminalized. It is no longer possible to exercise our right of freedom of expression without being assaulted or distorted by those in power.

WE WILL NOT PERMIT THIS CONTINUING INTIMIDATION!

THE CHAKANA WILL ENDURE AND RESIST THE REPEATED FASCIST ATTACKS!

IT WILL GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO STRUGGLE FOR THE DEMANDS OF OUR PEOPLE AND CULTURE!