LIMA, Dec. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- More than 100 people were killed, hundreds injured and many arrested in the year-long political turmoil that led to the resignation of Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, who took office on Aug. 6, 2002.

    The conflicts in Bolivia started to worsen in mid-February, when riot police rebelled in La Paz, seats of the Government Palace and the Congress.

    The police demanded wage hikes, while trade unions in other parts of the country raised similar demands.

    Protesting police clashed with soldiers guarding the center of the city, resulting in the death of over 30 people and great loss of public and private properties during 48 hours of violence.

    In mid-September, Indian peasants, mostly Aymara, set up roadblocks on the highway linking La Paz with Los Yungas, 100 km away from the Bolivian capital.

    The Indians urged the government to adopt further measures to address their long-standing demands, including those for modernization of agriculture and improvement of their education, health and living conditions.

    The natural-gas issue followed and became a political one when people refused to accept government plans to export hydrocarbon through Chile.

    In the late 19th century, Chile won the so-called War of the Pacific and took over from Bolivia 120,000 km of coastline, turning Bolivia into a landlocked state in South America.

    Those opposing the plans also said the natural-gas should be utilized for the country's internal development and not be exported. Bloody clashes broke out during protests in El Alto and La Paz.

    Four weeks later, police and protesters clashed again, killing more than 80 people and injuring over 450.

    Sanchez de Lozada was forced to agree to call a referendum on the natural gas issue, and establish a Constitutional Assembly to modify some articles. He also promised to grant some of the Indians' requests.

    However, his moves failed to alleviate mounting social pressure.For the embattled president, there was no other way but to resign and he was replaced by Vice President Carlos Mesa.

    Mesa, whose popularity ratings soared to 80 percent, is facing a host of problems inherited from his predecessor. The main opposition parties, Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) and the Pachacuti Indian Movement (MPI), and trade unions gave Mesa only a90-day truce, due to expire in January, to solve the problems whenhe took office in mid-October.

    The new president has pledged to fulfill four tasks in his administration: calling a Constitutional Assembly, holding a binding referendum on natural gas, revising the Hydrocarbon Law and reaching consensus on a social pact.

    "The country is nearly bankrupt," he once said. And he urgentlyrequired 100 million US dollars to bridge the gap of the fiscal deficit which is expected to reach 6.0-to-9.0 percent of the country's GDP this year.

    Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in South America, has a gross domestic product (GDP) of nearly 8 billion US dollars, an average 2.6-percent annual growth, an average per capita income of900 dollars and a 2.45 percent inflation rate. According to official figures, the country's foreign debt amounts to 5 billion dollars.

    Plans to export gas are part of Mesa's measures to solve the social and economic problems, but he has to leave the issue to theBolivian people to decide.

    Mesa has also to cope with the illegal production of coca leaves, specially in the Chapare region in the central state of Cochabamba. Mesa has announced a "gradual strategy" when the United States pressed for eradication campaigns.

    In Chapare, the region that backs Evo Morales of MAS, leader ofthe opposition and head of the peasants, agricultural producers and workers opposed the involvement of the military and police in the anti-drugs combat.

    The question remains as to whether the present political situation in Bolivia requires a president of Indian origin with a multi-ethnic cabinet that is able to coexist with the traditional political class. Enditem