The World : General Strike Hits Bolivia

Bolivia’s powerful leftist labor federation launched a 48-hour general strike to protest government economic policies and to demand the removal of U.S. soldiers who have been providing support for police raids on cocaine producers. Rail and domestic air services were shut down, along with mines and many factories, but business activity remained normal in the capital of La Paz. Union representatives assailed the country’s year-old conservative government, which has laid off thousands of workers, reorganized state companies and frozen public employee wages. It also intends to close unprofitable tin mines, a move that would throw 9,000 miners out of work.