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September 29, 2023

Former Bolivian President to Pay Damages for 2003 Indigenous Massacre
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The former president of Bolivia, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, and his
former defense minister have agreed to pay damages to the families of
eight people killed during a 2003 massacre in the largely Indigenous
Aymara city of El Alto. The murders happened as massive Indigenous-led
protests erupted across Bolivia against a proposed pipeline in what
became known as the Gas War. One plaintiff in the case was Teófilo
Baltazar Cerro, whose pregnant wife was killed by a bullet fired through
the wall of a house. He said, "I feel proud that Aymara Bolivians showed
the world that no leader, no matter how rich or powerful they are, has
absolute impunity." The U.S. case against Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada was
brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights.


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