Protests in Tarija

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My second day in Tarija was also the day that protests were happening. This limited our ability to do as much as we normally would.

I understand that these protests are common. They had the same protest twice last year and in 2019. The longest one lasting 21 days. It is the only way for the government to listen to the people. Santa Cruz, while not the capital, is where everything comes from for the rest of Bolivia. That is why the protests in Santa Cruz are indefinite. If they block access to roads it will paralyze the other parts of the country as they slowly run out of food, fuel, and supplies. There are also strong protests in LaPaz, which is where the government is located.

I set up shop in the kitchen with the balance sheets of the bakery so I could start to help them on their finances. I am starting with the bakery at this location. I began with translating it into English so I could review the information.

For lunch I ventured out and figured I would turn back if I ran into the protests. But I am about 7 mins from the capital so I didn't see anything. A fair amount of businesses were closed. I had lunch in town, stopped at one of the markets that was open and then headed back to the center to continue to work on the financials.

Before it got dark I went for a walk around the neighborhood where our center is located. The village is called Morros Blancos. The main two things in this neighborhood are a large dump and the prison. So needless to say not a lot of opportunities for those that live here. There are a lot of street dogs here that are very territorial. Twice I quickly jogged in the opposite direction of some dogs. I don't know if they bite, but I don't want to find out.

I learned that you can get food delivered from town from guys on scooters. We ordered pizza since we did not want to go out with the evening protests.

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