Neighbors of the community came out to counter destabilizing actions, which provoked confrontations. | Photo: ABI

La Paz, October 31 (RHC)-- Bolivian police authorities reported Sunday that radical elements of the ultra-conservative Unión Juvenil Cruceñista (UJC) attempted to take over the Palmasola Storage Plant of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB).

Demonstrators supporting the opposition and governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, clashed with firecrackers and stones with police forces, who were maintaining security at the plant.  As a result, neighbors of the community went out to counteract the destabilizing actions, which provoked confrontations between the two sides and forced the police to intervene.

Camacho motorcyclists of the UJC on their way to the YPFB refinery to look for dead bodies and confront the people on the instructions of their leader, Fernando Camacho in view of the failure of their strike. pic.twitter.com/ciHWoUy2mn

In turn, the Police Commander, Jhony Chávez, informed that "we are at the oilfield facilities to protect the installations and prevent confrontation between both sides."   Accordingly, the official specified that "we have made use of chemical agents to persuade and disperse the demonstrators so that this does not escalate" when violent actions are reported by the UJC.

For its part, the state oil company expressed through a communiqué that "if any confrontation or emergent situation occurs in the vicinity of the YPFB facilities, it will be the responsibility of the Pro Santa Cruz Committee".