Road blocks

The way that Bolivian protest is to block the roads. They do this when they are upset and have toppled three presidents in five years. This week they are upset because the only company that sells propane is reportedly selling it illegally in Peru where they can make more money, causing shortages at home. As most people here rely on it for cooking this is a problem. The government has responding by sending out propane trucks to the neighbourhoods with police escorts and selling propane by the roadside. But people wait for hourss and hours for the truck to come. This blockade is on a busy street just two blocks from here. I saw them set it up. They had been waiting all day and about 3 o'clock there was a gap in the traffic and with almost no warning the women quickly picked up their tanks and set them down in the middle of the road. The police were there but didn't even blink. The traffic just diverted itself onto the side streets, there was no yelling or rudeness. One person actually moved their tank so that I could walk through. Then half an hour later they moved their tanks back to the side of the road to wait for the government truck.