Over 1,000 miners protest salary fall, blocking center of La Paz

Over 1,000 miners arrived Monday in the Bolivian capital of La Paz in protest against their shrinking salaries, organizers said.

The group of miners arrived outside the seat of the Bolivian government in a fleet of about twenty buses to join other miners, who had been protesting for the last two weeks.

Their demands were related to a range of issues, including a sharp fall in mining royalties in recent months. Due to shrinking metal prices and government fiscal policies, mining cooperatives have seen their income plummet, causing miners to go on strike.

The protesters are calling for a meeting with Bolivian President Evo Morales and have rejected offers to meet with government ministers.

Streets at the center of La Paz have been blocked for two weeks by protesters and their supporters.

Government minister Carlos Romero said that the protesters had maintained a "radical" position and disturbed local people.

He alleged that the protest was motivated by political objectives, accusing the miners of rejecting dialogue and provoking clashes. Endi