Bolivian officials, mutinous police continue talks
By the CNN Wire Staff
June 26, 2012 -- Updated 1509 GMT (2309 HKT)
Police officers on strike march along the streets of La Paz, Bolivia, on June 25, 2012.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Bottom-rank police who mutinied six days ago are demanding better pay
- Some government officials accuse the police of having a political agenda
- The two sides met all night
La Paz, Bolivia (CNN) -- Bolivian government officials held an all-night meeting with mutinous police officers in an effort to end a six-day mutiny that some say threatens the country's stability.
Bottom-rank police officers are demanding pay increases and retirement pensions equal to their current salaries, among other demands.
Talks were to resume Tuesday morning.
A deal had been reached on Sunday between the two parties that included a hefty raise, but the police officers rejected it, saying their leaders had not consulted them before signing.
Police strike in Bolivia
While government representatives who are negotiating with the officers express hope that an agreement will be found, other Bolivian leaders are accusing the police of a conspiracy.
"We are no longer facing a labor or salary issue, but something with a political conspiratorial character in the initial phase of coup preparations," Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linares said.
He accused the forces behind the police mutiny of wanting to push the country into a situation of violence, "but they won't have it; we won't allow it."
The vice president said that during the six years of President Evo Morales' leadership, police salaries have increased 42%.
"How are we going to carry out a coup if we have no such intentions," one of the police officers told CNN en EspaƱol. "We are simply asking for a fair salary, which is necessary."
At the start of the most recent talks, Interior Minister Carlos Romero said, "In any case, we have the hope to solve this conflict within the institutional framework and through a path of consensus and dialogue."
Meanwhile, as police are occupied with their own protests, a group of indigenous people who have been marching for two months to protest a planned highway through a national park will arrive in the capital, La Paz.
Members of Bolivia's armed forces have taken over many of the tasks performed by police.
Journalist Gloria Carrasco contributed to this report.
Part of complete coverage on
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 1526 GMT (2326 HKT)
Advocates say the exam includes unnecessarily invasive and irrelevant procedures -- like a so-called "two finger" test.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 0009 GMT (0809 HKT)
Supplies of food, clothing and fuel are running short in Damascus and people are going hungry as the civil war drags on.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 1801 GMT (0201 HKT)
Supporters of Richard III want a reconstruction of his head to bring a human aspect to a leader portrayed as a murderous villain.
February 5, 2013 -- Updated 1548 GMT (2348 HKT)
Robert Fowler spent 130 days held hostage by the same al Qaeda group that was behind the Algeria massacre. He shares his experience.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 0507 GMT (1307 HKT)
As "We are the World" plays, a video shows what looks like a nuclear attack on the U.S. Jim Clancy reports on a bizarre video from North Korea.
The relationship is, once again, cold enough to make Obama's much-trumpeted "reset" in Russian-U.S. relations seem thoroughly off the rails.
Ten years on, what do you think the Iraq war has changed in you, and in your country? Send us your thoughts and experiences.
February 5, 2013 -- Updated 1215 GMT (2015 HKT)
Musician Daniela Mercury has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide over a career span of nearly 30 years.
Photojournalist Alison Wright travelled the world to capture its many faces in her latest book, "Face to Face: Portraits of the Human Spirit."
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 0006 GMT (0806 HKT)
Europol claims 380 soccer matches, including top level ones, were fixed - as the scandal widens, CNN's Dan Rivers looks at how it's done.
February 6, 2013 -- Updated 1237 GMT (2037 HKT)
That galaxy far, far away is apparently bigger than first thought. The "Star Wars" franchise will get two spinoff movies, Disney announced.
February 8, 2013 -- Updated 0718 GMT (1518 HKT)
It's an essential part of any trip, an activity we all take part in. Yet almost none of us are any good at it. Souvenir buying is too often an obligatory slog.
Today's five most popular stories