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Friday, Jan. 10
The Indiana Daily Student

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Suicide bomb attack kills 2

Bolivian Congress evacuated; disgruntled miner wounds 10

LA PAZ, Bolivia -- An angry miner with dynamite strapped to his chest blew himself up in Bolivia's Congress Tuesday, killing two police officers and wounding 10 others, authorities said.\nLa Paz Police Chief Guido Arandia said the suicide bomber -- whose demand for early retirement benefits underscored the grievances of many low-paid miners in Bolivia -- stormed into Congress around midday and went to a part of the building away from the Congressional chambers.\nThe miner detonated his vest laced with at least five sticks of dynamite as Congressional security police tried to negotiate. Arandia said the miner killed himself and fatally wounded Col. Marbel Flores, head of the Congressional security police, and an officer who wasn't immediately identified. Col. Carlos Za, head of the country's intelligence service, was critically injured.\nArandia said there was no doubt the man intentionally blew himself up.\nPolice had evacuated Congress earlier Tuesday after receiving reports that disgruntled miners planned to force their way into the building. Police had no immediate report on whether the bomber was acting alone or with others.\nPresident Carlos Mesa called the miner a desperate man. "I want to tell the nation that what happened today is an absolutely isolated fact, not related to any situation that should cause concern," Mesa said. "The nation should remain calm and assured that there is no political motivation in this."\nThe bombing comes with thousands of Bolivian miners out of work. In recent years, the government has opened the country's vast reserves of gold and other mineral deposits to private mining companies.\nIn October, disgruntled miners joined with indigenous groups and labor organizations in leading days of violent protests against then-President Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada. Rioting killed at least 58 people and was sparked by the president's unpopular plan to export natural gas.\nA leader for the jobless miners, Miguel Zubieta, said the suicide at Congress is a consequence of the situation affecting thousands of unemployed miners, and others were are not able to claim retirement benefits.\nPresident Mesa has worked to ease still-simmering social tensions among the majority poor in this country of 8.2 million. But he continues to face pressure from the protest groups to turn around a slumping economy and narrow the gap between rich and poor.\nAn hour after the Congressional blast, an explosion was heard in downtown La Paz but there were no reports of injuries nor official word whether it was related.\nCanal 7 showed footage with shattered glass carpeting a side street leading to the ornate colonial legislative palace. Heavily armed police quickly cordoned off the complex in downtown La Paz and were seen dragging one body into a taxi that sped off.

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