Bolivia seeks charges against Montana rancher, son

[Judi Lynn]

Bolivia seeks charges against Montana rancher, son
Posted on April 19
By DAN KEANE of the Associated Press


LA PAZ, Bolivia - Bolivia’s government is seeking to charge a rancher from Montana and his son n a former Mr. Bolivia pageant winner n for their alleged role in violent protests against President Evo Morales’ land redistribution plan.

Ronald Larsen, of Plentywood, who has extensive land holdings in Bolivia, and his son Duston are named in a criminal complaint for “sedition, robbery, and other crimes.” The complaint was announced on Friday by Deputy Minister of Land Alejandro Almaraz.

Ronald Larsen is accused of firing on Almaraz’s vehicle and holding the minister hostage as he tried to carry out a government inspection of Larsen’s Bolivian ranch on February 29. The Larsens are also accused of leading a protest last week in the nearby town of Cuevo that left some 40 people injured.

Prosecutors will now decide whether to file charges against the pair. Neither could be immediately be reached for comment, and it was unclear if they had hired a lawyer.

More:
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/19/bnews/br72.txt

[Judi Lynn]

1. Bolivia: At the Bolivian Chaco 500 Guarani families are suffering suppression by landlords

Bolivia: At the Bolivian Chaco 500 Guarani families are suffering suppression by landlords

ABI
Abril 11, 2008, 10:10 EDT
Camiri, Santa Cruz - Bolivia --

From Iviyeca to Alto Parapet and in the other side of the Hill Sararenda, there are 500 guarani families suffering suppression from landlords, this report was made by Assembly of Guarani People (APG Spanish initials).

The Guarani people reported that they will continue fighting to recover their land and rescue families in captivity, giving a pronouncement under the slogan "Basta de peones y patrones en el Chaco Boliviano" (Enough of being servant, enough of landlords in the Bolivian Chaco).

According to APG, until now, 80 families have moved away from the area, leaving their communities to escape from landlord abuses.

At El Alto Parapeti, 13 landlords have 167 guarani families under slavery conditions, from those families 12 families are in captivity at Ronald Larsen’s lands, a United States citizen.

More:
http://www.redbolivia.com/noticias/News%20in%20English/Bolivia/62999.html

[Judi Lynn]

2. You may want to see a photo of the rancher's little sonny boy, Duston

(click for image)

Duston Larsen

A.K.A. "Big D the Bolivian nightmare"

Major: Business Management

Bio: The 180 Pound Smoker Champion...

Position: Co-Historian, Sorority Liaison

http://www.geocities.com/msuksig2001/members.htm

[Judi Lynn]

3. Translation of info. from a news program. This is the google translation:

Ronald Larsen and other patterns of the province throwing stones and shooting at Cordillera indigenous and State officials; is the second attack in a month.

They attacked with stones, firecrackers and bullets officials to the Ministry of Lands and INRA in Caraparicito vicinity of the farm, located in the Town of Lagunillas, approximately 80 kilometers from Camiri. The intellectual and material authors of the attack are farmers and ranchers, including an American citizen linked to the political and business elites of the capital cruceña.

While sanitation in the area will benefit 10 thousand small owners and consolidate a TCO for Guarani indigenous communities, many of them exploited labour, landowners and ranchers formed "defense committees" with armed people to prevent the entry of government officials and paralyse the work of sanitation.

This is not the first time that landowners Cordillera in the province of Santa Cruz to prevent violence reorganizing its finances. On 29 February abducted and threatened with death to the highest authorities and national agricultural shot at the tires of his car.

From video:
http://www.boliviaenvideos.com/2008/04/hacendado-norteamericano-arma-grupos-de.html

In Spanish:

Ronald Larsen y otros patrones de la provincia Cordillera apedrean y disparan a indígenas y funcionarios del Estado; es la segunda agresión en un mes.

Atacaron con piedras, petardos y balas a funcionarios del Viceministerio de Tierras y del INRA en inmediaciones de la hacienda Caraparicito, ubicada en la Localidad de Lagunillas, aproximadamente a 80 kilómetros de Camiri. Los autores intelectuales y materiales de la agresión son ganaderos y hacendados, entre ellos un ciudadano norteamericano vinculado a las elites políticas y empresariales de la capital cruceña.

Aunque el saneamiento en la zona beneficiará a 10 mil pequeños propietarios y consolidará una TCO a favor de comunidades indígenas guaraníes, muchas de ellas explotadas laboralmente, los hacendados y ganaderos conformaron “comités de defensa” con gente armada para impedir el ingreso de funcionarios de gobierno y paralizar los trabajos de saneamiento.

No es la primera vez que los terratenientes de la provincia Cordillera de Santa Cruz impiden con violencia el saneamiento de sus haciendas. El 29 de febrero secuestraron y amenazaron de muerte a las máximas autoridades agrarias nacionales y dispararon a las llantas de su vehículo.

[Judi Lynn]

4. The father has also registered land in his sonny boy's name:

Google translation:

Bolivia: MAS Assemblyman alleges that Larsen has more than 57 thousand hectares and Camiri supports the Guarani

APG News
April 10, 2008, 10:19 EDT

La Paz, Bolivia --
The constituent tarijeña Magda Lidia Calvimontes of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), reported on Wednesday that the family in Santa Cruz Larsen owns about 17 properties whose total area is greater than the 57 thousand hectares.

He revealed that Andre Ronald Larsen Zurita is a property of over 3,377 acres at the site Caraparicito; Duston Larsen Metenbrink would have more than 2,696 acres at the site Caraparicito II, on the campus Yaguapoa, Duston Larsen Metenbrink owns more than 2,696 acres.; on the campus called Private Reserve Natural Heritage, Duston Larsen Metenbrink, Andre Ronald Larsen and Aaron Hans Larsen would have more than 2,313 hectares. in the campus Itatiqui, Hans Aaron Larsen would Zurita owner of 3,986 acres, all in canton Ipati, in the province Cordillera, in the department of Santa Cruz.

The campus Corrales, Andre Ronald Larsen Zurita has 4,285 hectares, in the San Carlos campus has 2,557 ha. In the campus The Remates II Duston Larsen Metenbrink has 2,595 ha. In the campus Loreto Montana, Duston Larsen has Metenbrink owns 2,867 . in the campus Nativity, Hans Aaron Larsen Surita has 3,574 ha. in the St. Paul campus, Ronald Dean Larsen Nielsen has 4,612 ha., all in the province Velasco in canton San Miguel, in the province Velasco, the same department.

In farm San Augustin, Ronald Dean Larsen Nielsen has 1,178 hectares; on the campus Nativity San Ramon has 2,162; on the campus San Ceferino owns 2,634 hectares in the same canton.

The property owned San Miguelito, Ronald Dean Larsen Nielsen has 6,860 hectares; on the property Mount Honda, 3,949 ha. And ownership San Lorenzo, has 4,114. In the canton Saturnino Saucedo of the province Ñuflo Chavez.

The sum total of surfaces gives 57,145 hectares belonging to the aforementioned family.

It is estimated that this area represents three times the urban stain of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Only in the province Cordillera surface of the land identified totalled 15,777 hectares, which is equivalent to three quarters of the urban stain of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, while the three properties in Ñuflo Chavez added 14,924 hectares.

According to the complaint, in the province Velasco joined the nine properties identified an area of 26,443 hectares, an area equivalent to 5,000 hectares higher in the urban stain of Santa Cruz.

WORD OF CAMIRI

In relation to this issue, the civic movement of Camiri issued a statement in which he conveyed its support for the Guarani people who signed with the "pact of unity and brotherhood of the Chaco region of Bolivia during the days to recover of the oil fields that are in private hands.

In addition, civic and disqualify camireños reject the statements by Mr Ronald Garcia Moreno, who assigns responsibility to speak on behalf of the Civic Committee of Camiri, "demonstrating positions frankly reactionary, fascist and racist showing once again that demagogic and practice of politiquera those seeking to confuse people looking for returns in a political conflict that must be resolved on the basis of compliance with national legislation, "says the document.

He also repudiated the violent attitude of foreign nationals as Ronald and Duston Larsen, who are said are large landowners who have more than 57 thousand hectares.

At the same time rejected any measure pressure attempting to proceed "by not responding to a lawsuit legitimizes that meets the common interest of Camiri in the Cordillera province, but on the contrary it only seeks to delegitimize our movement and achievements, trying to confuse the national public opinion. "

Finally hold the dialogue to try to find a solution to the conflict that was generated as a result of the reorganisation process that aims to develop the Executive.

The nation Guarani argued against groups, which qualifies as a minority who seek to ignore its legitimate right "we are confident that Bolivian society as a whole unknown privileges from families with economic and political power, achieved at the expense of usurpation of our lands and the subjugation to the servitude of hundreds and thousands of families in Guarani violated their basic human rights. "

The government claimed that there were families captive in this area are treated in conditions of slavery.

Protestaron the attitude assumed by the family Larsen, who have weapons in their hands trying to prevent it from being carried out by the process of healing.

They call on the authorities of the "Public Ministry as representatives of the State and Society, start the inquiry in order to clarify the criminal acts committed by Mr. Ronald and Duston Larsen assumptions owners Caraparicito located in the town of Lagunillas.

http://www.redbolivia.com/noticias/Regiones/62891.html

[Judi Lynn]

5. More from a translated article. Near the end it says Larsen started out with the Peace Corps! Jesus!

Ronald Larsen and other patterns of the province throwing stones and shooting at Cordillera indigenous and State officials; is the second attack in a month
Hacendado American gun assault groups to defend estates in the Chaco cruceño

They attacked with stones, firecrackers and bullets officials to the Ministry of Lands and INRA in Caraparicito vicinity of the farm, located in the Town of Lagunillas, approximately 80 kilometers from Camiri. The intellectual and material authors of the attack are farmers and ranchers, including an American citizen linked to the political and business elites of the capital cruceña.
While sanitation in the area will benefit 10 thousand small owners and consolidate a TCO for Guarani indigenous communities, many of them exploited labour, landowners and ranchers formed "defense committees" with armed people to prevent the entry of government officials and paralyse the work of sanitation.

This is not the first time that landowners Cordillera in the province of Santa Cruz to prevent violence reorganizing its finances. On 29 February abducted and threatened with death to the highest authorities and national agricultural shot at the tires of his car.

At 10 am this Friday, 4 April, the government commission composed of 40 officials and the Ministry of INRA, sheltered by a police contingent of 40 troops, resumed the work of sanitation in the town Parapetí High, and again found violent resistance from landowners.

The caravan was arrested in the town of Ipati by a group of people on board more than a dozen vehicles drivers threatened to burn vehicles carrying government officials. However, the number broke the blockade and continued its journey under siege permanent threatening the farmers who sought aboard six vehicles.

At 15:30, government representatives came to the farm "Caraparicito." The road was completely blocked by a trailer without wheels of eight metres long, several logs and stones. Behind these barriers landowners erected a barricade and more ago placed a tank in the middle of the road.

He began a vigorous discussion followed by insults and shoves. Ranchers denying the government of Evo Morales. "This is going to take a few more days because they are no longer you," said one of the owners, an allusion to the autonomous status that entrepreneurship cruceño aims to adopt May 4.

Ranchers shouted that there were no captives in their estates, although the Guarani accompanying the commission denying them official. Journalists covering these incidents prevented asked why sanitation if there is no indigenous captives in their land, but the landlords did not respond. After a struggle was withdrawing the first trailer and the committee moved ahead with the police.

At that time he left his finances American Ronald Larsen, shouting and threatening directly to the Deputy Minister of Lands Alejandro Almaraz. The kidnapping of 29 February, the same character intimidated to Almaraz with firearms. The group clash of landowners began to throw firecrackers, rockets and stones at skilful and sinister, in the face injuring a policeman and a Guarani, and also a councillor of Lagunillas. The police had to use tear gas to halt the aggression. Then they negotiated a truce, without which neither party has abandoned their positions.

Both sides remain in their positions: the official contingent composed of 40 officials, 36 policemen and about 50 indigenous Guarani, as opposed to "defence committee" composed of 50 livestock people, some armed and equipped with radioreceptores.

Who's Larsen?

An American starred in two attacks on an official in less than 40 days. This foreigner who hired thugs levantisco to prevent the Guarani obtain a TCO in High Parapetí called Ronald Larsen.

Larsen connected with the Peace Corps, arrived in the Bolivian Chaco in 1968 and the next year bought the hacienda Caraparicito. Over the years, their finances became a tourist complex with natural attractions, gym, game room, dining room, meeting room, library, sauna and whirlpool.

The Chaco livestock farms are part of a tourism project promoted by the Prefecture of Santa Cruz. The investment of private property, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), reaches a million dollars, according to a report of the New Day (June 5, 2007).

Larsen is well connected with the political hierarchy of the department. The Prefecture cruceña elected Caraparicito as an example of environmental management. Within the estate of 2,800 hectares there is a "Private Nature Reserve Heritage" of 2,335 hectares. On June 4, 2007, Larsen received at its finance the prefect Ruben Costas, the president of the civic committee Branko Marinkovic, and the chairman of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CAINCO) then Gabriel Dabdoub.

All over land

Larsen and landowners in the province Cordillera, in alliance with the elites of Santa Cruz, formed a "defence committee" in the province Cordillera comprising medium and large landowners, they Juan Carlos Santistevan, owner of the property of an extension of Mandioty 1,885 hectares, and the family of Elvy Abbet of Malpartida, owner of the property Itacay of 9,783 hectares.

The most active clan are Larsen. According to data of INRA, the father, Ronald Larsen owns Caraparicito of 3,377 hectares and Caraparicito II, 3,399 hectares. His son Duston owns Yaguapoa campus of 2,696 hectares. All of these properties are located in the cantons Choreti, and Camiri Cuevo (Santa Cruz) and Sapirangui and Guembe (Chuquisaca).
Of a total of 98,875 hectares in High Parapetí, 51,512, 52 percent of all land was concentrated in 14 sites categorised as businesses. The 40 small properties identified at the scene joined an area of 7,755 hectares, or 7.8% of the land.


http://www.bolpress.com/art.php?Cod=2008040414

[Judi Lynn]

6. There are more articles on this white separatist I posted in LBN,

but now there are so many it would take a long time to copy and past the rest.

If you don't mind, would you look at this link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3274980

You will see that Ronald Larsen's name connects with Branko Marinkovic, who has been one of the leaders in the white separatist movement created to pull the wealthy oil and gas producing areas out and away from the Bolivian government, so they don't have to share their revenue with indigenous Bolivians. Filthy, vicious people, they shouldn't be able to get by with it.

Helping them in their plan is Philip Goldberg, whom you will remember as the ambassador who asked the Fulbright scholar and Peace Corp people to act as spies against leftist Bolivians, and Venezuelans!





Branko Marinkovic

[Judi Lynn]

7. (Vice President) García Linera warned the "families of gangsters"

García Linera warned the "families of gangsters": "No more business and the 'pachanga' go to work if they want to eat"

Bolivia: Fight class disguised as competing regional
This is not the first time that the bourgeoisie of Santa Cruz is amotina against the State and justifies his insubordination brandishing flags of the "autonomy". Over the past 50 years, the agro-industrial elite, landowners, merchants are banking and won the autonomy to preserve their class interests.

The Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera believes that the core of the current crisis is not polarization around regional autonomy, as interpreted by the political forces of right, but frankly the "class struggle" between the few who have a lot and the thousands of human beings who have nothing.

On behalf of autonomy, entrepreneurship cruceño funded political factions extreme as Bolivian Socialist Falange (FSB) and supported as the de facto governments of Hugo Banzer, who was able to reward their hosts with the free allocation of huge tracts of land.

Now, a fraction of the bourgeoisie eastern goes much further and used false and hypocritically the banner of autonomy to divide the country and create another state with a constitution of its own. Minority always privileged sectors of society are able not only to confront Bolivians, but who dare to split the Motherland to defend their narrow interests, says Garcia Linera.

According to the Vice President, these "logieros" does not condone the government that they closed the doors of enrichment easy. "To the families of gang members and rogues who lived at the expense of the Bolivian people for centuries not let them return to mistreat our country, to continue privatizing, hoarding silver of Bolivians to buy luxury cars and houses."

These people can not bear to see a farmer has reduced the external debt of 5 billion dollars to two billion; not forgive that are building new businesses of paper, cardboard and milk. "Some families or political parties will not condone the President to distribute land is so dignified, fair and accountable. President Evo arrived and told them simply, the land is not for malbaratarla or acapararla improductivamente is to be used by the peasant dignity and the producer. Those families told them that the business was over and the 'pachanga', going to work if they want to eat. "

The bourgeoisie cruceña without influence national, was atrinchera in their region and organizes de facto self-government illegal, and back to the international community. The local elite division boosts creating a national citizenship itself, "cruceñidad" up a local police force and was attached full powers in areas that have always been the responsibility of the state as education, health, land allocation, taxes, natural resources and several others.

Derrotada on the court of bourgeois democracy, the right violates the rules, institutions and the sacrosanct "rule of law". "They must answer for their misdeeds and actions before the Constitutional Court, is the story of us (…) Nobody will make us change of thought, first is the people, the Motherland, people will be humble and after the loggias or privileged sectors that always . For us to do what they want, the President and his Vice-President Evo are willing to surrender their lives in defense of the right of poor people, and why if we have to insult and criticize welcome insult because dignifies us, "says Vice President.

The message of officialdom to "antipatrias trying to denigrating and destroying the country" is clear and emphatic: The process of change will continue because it is a commitment to Bolivians and history. Bolivia will remain united and will be defeated "racist and fascist" and alleged some opposition politicians or businessmen who never had homeland but estates and bottomless pockets.

More:
http://www.visionesalternativas.com/article.asp?ID=%7B94EAFA21-E56E-4DD8-A7DF-79875D573F8E%7D&language=ES

Non-Spanish speakers can always find google translator tool useful:
http://translate.google.com/translate_t?langpair=es|en

[Judi Lynn]

8. Two filmmakers kidnapped and mistreated in Santa Cruz department

Two filmmakers kidnapped and mistreated in Santa Cruz department

MONTREAL, April 18 /CNW Telbec/ - Reporters Without Borders condemns the
mistreatment that two documentary filmmakers - Tanimbu Estremadoiro and her
Argentine colleague Fernando Cola - received from residents of Cuevo, in the
eastern department of Santa Cruz, on 13 April.
They were kidnapped and subjected to physical violence during a clash
between government representatives and local landowners in a region where much
of the population supports calls for autonomy and is fiercely opposed to the
government in La Paz.
"All those trying to settle scores by attacking the press should have
learned from the death of Carlos Quispe on 29 March as a result of an attack
on Radio Municipal Pucarani (see 8 April release)," Reporters Without Borders
said. "The way Fernando Cola and Tanimbu Estremadoiro were treated shows that
the current political and social conflicts continue to expose journalists to
serious risks."
The press freedom organisation added: "We hope that justice will be
quickly rendered in this case and that the political class, especially those
in the regions that are pressing for autonomy, will undertake to ensure
respect for press freedom."
Cola and Estremadoiro, who are members of the Centre for Legal Studies
and Social Investigation (CEJIS) and the International Work Group for
Indigenous Affairs, a Danish NGO, are making a documentary about land
conflicts in Bolivia. On 13 April, they were accompanying a government
delegation that is in charge of distributing land to Guarani indigenous
peasants.
A group of local landowners opposed to agrarian reform blocked the
delegation's access to Cuevo, a locality near the city of Santa Cruz. When the
confrontation turned violent, Cola was captured. He was kicked repeatedly,
stones were thrown at him and his camera was smashed. He finally escaped from
his assailants and found refuge in the home of a local resident where soldiers
rescued him the next day.

More:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2008/18/c7128.html

[Judi Lynn]

9. How can this story NOT be related? "10 Bolivians, Uruguayan confirmed missing in Bolivia"

10 Bolivians, Uruguayan confirmed missing in Bolivia


www.chinaview.cn 2008-04-15 09:58:40

LIMA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Ten Bolivian indigenous people and one Uruguayan journalist have disappeared, and are probably being held by landowners in Bolivia, Bolivia's Deputy Land Minister Alejandro Almaraz said Monday.

The group is thought to have been captured in a violent ambush in the Cordillera region by some landowners opposing the ongoing land reforms in the country, according to reports from La Paz, Bolivia's administrative capital. There was no immediate information about when they were taken.

Bolivian President Evo Morales, the first indigenous president in the country's history, has been pushing forward land reforms in some provinces, to redistribute some land from rich landowners to indigenous people.

More:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/15/content_7979410.htm

[magbana]

10. Jeez, what a plague on the people of Bolivia

This is a very interesting story and I will read everything you have shared in more depth. So Ronald Larsen was in the Peace Corps in 1968 and then bought land the next year in Bolivia?? Hmmm, this smells like John Perkins "the Economic Hit Man" except Larsen seems more like white separatist trash. And the pic of his son -- the pugilist. These are folks who have plenty of money but rather than pay others to do the dirty work, I think they like to inflict the violence themselves. Chilling. Look forward to more Judi!

[Judi Lynn]

11. This one has a few more teeth in it: Q&A Land Reform Agents Try to Free Indians from Servitude in

Q&A Land Reform Agents Try to Free Indians from Servitude in Bolivia
LA PAZ, Apr 24 (IPS) - Alto Parapetí, a rural area in the eastern Bolivian province of Santa Cruz, is caught up in a dispute between large landowners and the government, which is trying to free more than 2,700 Guaraní Indians from a state of servitude.

Forty inspectors from the National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA) are attempting to draw up a land registry in the area and restore the land rights of 19 indigenous communities in the area.

Alto Parapetí, in the province of Cordillera, is located 1,200 km southeast of the administrative capital, La Paz.

The inspectors’ access to the disputed land, where Guaraní families are living in a state of servitude and forced labour on remote estates, according to the ombudsman’s office and human rights groups, has been blocked by local landowners.

The medium and large landholders have the backing of the local government and the pro-business Santa Cruz Civic Committee, who are staunch opponents of the leftwing government of indigenous President Evo Morales.

The presence of government inspectors in the area has fanned the flames of a conflict with the Morales administration, which is attempting to regularise land ownership and redistribute idle or fraudulently obtained land (involving expropriation with economic compensation) in the extensive plains and forests of Bolivia’s Chaco region, which covers the eastern and southeastern portions of the provinces of Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca and Tarija.

But the government’s land reform efforts have run into stiff opposition from the powerful agribusiness interests and landowners in the relatively wealthy eastern part of the country, who have accumulated huge extensions of fertile farmland and property rich in natural gas and water, which has served as the basis of their political power.

Santa Cruz and three other eastern provinces have adopted "autonomy statutes" in open defiance of the government of Morales and the constitution. (In Bolivia, which is made up of nine provinces, the western highlands are home to the impoverished indigenous majority and the eastern lowlands concentrate most of the country's natural gas production, industry and gross domestic product).

On May 4, voters in Santa Cruz will take part in a provincial referendum on whether or not to declare autonomy.

In the following interview with IPS correspondent Franz Chávez, INRA Secretary General Juan de Dios Fernández says the demand for autonomy is based on the regional elites’ intention of gaining greater local control over the abundant natural resources in the east and expanding the already enormous extensions of land under soybean cultivation.

On three occasions since Feb. 29, landowners and their security guards have attacked the INRA team of inspectors with shovels, stones, fists and firearms to keep them off the land in dispute in Alto Parapetí, where the agrarian reform officials are attempting to grant land titles to Guaraní residents, who have never had the security of registered land ownership.

More:
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42120

~~~~~~~~~
I agree with your comments, Magbana. White separatist trash, for sure. They are connected to that big a-hole, Branko Marinkovic, possibly the leader of the scum separatists.

Yes, there is absolutely no reason to believe it's a natural step for a Peace Corps worker to, within one year, end up as the owner of a HUGE amount of land in the country he was sent to HELP, for chrissakes. Apparently he read it: "Help YOURSELF to Bolivia!"

Anything I see on this situation I'll be sure to post.