Murder of deputy minister by striking miners shocks Bolivia

The murder of a deputy minister in Bolivia by striking miners led to the break up of their protest on Friday, while dozens of miners and union leaders were arrested.

On Thursday, Rodolfo Illanes, the deputy interior minister, was killed after being taken hostage by miners in the city of Panduro, around 160km from La Paz.

His body was found early on Friday morning by the side of a highway between La Paz and Oruro, covered by a blanket. Government reports said he died from being struck several times in the head.

President Evo Morales spoke at a press conference on Friday morning, calling Illanes' murder "unforgivable" and ordering three days of mourning.

"Our natural resources belong to the people...Illanes was a hero in the defense of our natural resources," said Morales, adding that the prosecutor-general had been ordered to ensure all those responsible were brought to justice.

According to Morales, this protest, during which two miners also died, was part of a conspiracy against his administration.

However, the miners, who were striking to demand more mining concessions and less regulation, decided to lift their protest in order to avoid further clashes.

The miners, from a cooperative, began blocking off highways on August 10. After a week's pause, the protest resumed on August 23 but soon broke down into clashes with the police, leaving two miners dead and injuries on both sides.

While the mining cooperatives are old allies of the Morales government, which have benefited from equipment, economic resources and advisory roles, new environmental conditions for the mining industry have angered them.

However, the killing of Illanes has removed any chance of negotiation. Bolivia's Labor Minister, Gonzalo Trigoso, told the media on Friday that "the leaders have decided not to show their faces for a dialogue." Enditem