The Terrorism of the Mnr in Huanuni

Since the middle of 1os7 the MNR government had established in Huanuni (the second biggest mine of Bolivia, after Catavi-Biglo AX) a centre of provocation against the workers’ and miners’ movement. This centre was based in the miltary command of the local MNR, with more than goo government-paid soldiers, armed with the mest modern anns, and which controlled the leadership of the miners’ trade union of Hnannoni by a terrorist dictatorship From Huannni armed gangs were constantly sent againct all the important workers’ and miners’ movements; they acted as strike breskers and came to the aid of the government in moments of struggle. They attacked, in June 1958, the Miners’ Congress of Colqnin, killing and wounding various miners. In Hnanuni they jailed the miner leader Antenor Miranda, who was later shot. This situation could have continued for some years, a5 the central trade union bureaucracy, headed by Lechin, supported on the Right wing hy Gutiérrez, on the Left wing by the Stalinists, made nse of it in order to suppress the working class rank and file. They even conelnded an open alliance in June 1659 at the Miners’ Cangress of Telamayu, in order to silence the workers and to prevent the formation of a new Jeadership, among whom were Trotskvist militants.