SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT DEADLY VIOLENCE IN BOLIVIA

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the violent clashes and the resulting loss of life in Bolivia, as well as the attempts to disrupt the nation’s economic infrastructure.  He urges all concerned to act with restraint and to prevent any further confrontation.

The Secretary-General rejects the use of violence as a means to advance political ends and joins others, including the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, and Bolivia’s Conference of Catholic Bishops, in calling for dialogue, urgently, to seek consensus on the pressing issues affecting the Bolivian people.

The United Nations stands ready to provide any assistance Bolivians may require in engaging in such a dialogue.

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For information media • not an official record