Social striking as a way of life

It is striking to see how and how often people strike in here.

• During our first week in Bolivia, the ComCiPo (Civil Committee of Potosi) did our first one. Two days, where they close the major roads of the city, disabling effectively all car transit, throwing firecrackers and stones to those brave enough to cross their barricades. Their demands were, mainly, a better exploitation system for Cerro Rico and other stuff. Imagine that ever since Juan de Villaroel arrived here, in 1545, to seize their silver, things haven't change that much. But now with Evo Morales in power, I guess miners though that it was their time, I guess not...they are still in a hunger strike.
  
• In a trip to Copacabana (to be written about in another entry), we crossed a straight in the highest water mass in the world, Lake Titicaca. It turned out that the boat crossing was closed, again for two days. Well we took advantage of that and do a trip to the sacred Isla del Sol. Surprisingly, after 48h, the strike turned out to be longer, and today may be the day that you cannot cross.
• Yesterday, the streets vendors, I guess completely informal economies, were on strike. What happens now is that as X-mas approaches, vendors from La Paz comes with cheaper produce, so they close the city roads and sit down in  from of the cathedral. Bolivia was, and is, a place where "offer and demand rules" are to be changed on demand and competence is stroked out by sitting down peacefully.
• The next one in the list has not happened yet, but give time to time, it is cooking at the minute...I'll let you know.

So far I have been here about four weeks, if I add up the amount of strikes...it sums up to at least 7 days.  25%, not bad.