Bolivian president says not to resign despite massive protests

Bolivian President Carlos Mesa said Tuesday that he would not resign until his tenure ends in 2007, while thousands of protesters demanded his step-down and clashed with the police, reports from La Paz said.

"The social movements have a partial vision and are radicalized by small groups with a large ability to shout and make noise. But they are not masses in the sense of a movement," Mesa told the press.

Thousands of peasants and miners have gathered in La Paz since Monday to demand nationalization of Bolivia's rich gas reserves and larger royalties from foreign gas companies in Bolivia. They also asked for Mesa's resignation and a constitutional convention,calling Mesa a "servant of the multinational corporations."

The demonstration turned into a riot Tuesday when demonstrators blocked the downtown square of La Paz, where the Congress and the executive palace are located, and began to smash windows in buildings and cars in the surrounding streets.

Reports said at least six people were injured when the riot police fired tear gas at the demonstrators to try to disperse them.

Bolivia has the second largest gas reserves in South America.

Source: Xinhua