Fear and Loathing in La Paz

I was supposed to go to Sucre yesterday... but unfortunately now isn't the best time for travel in Bolivia...
In Santa Cruz, a state in eastern Bolivia, anti-Morales protesters have flooded the streets and ransacked government buildings. They are angry that the government has changed the hydrocarbon tax breakdown so that the money made on the tax now goes towards a pension fund. Tension in Santa Cruz has been rising pretty much since the election of Morales, but especially since this weekend when opponents of the Morales government started blocking major highways and shutting down airports in order to stop gas exports to Brazil and Argentina. This has caused gas prices to rise and is turning the conflict into an international issue as Bolivia sits on the second largest gas reserves in South America.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7607158.stm

Apparently the American ambassador was also involved in the opposition activities in Santa Cruz and as a result Morales just kicked him out of the country calling him ‘persona no grata’.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7609487.stm

The upheaval has also spread to Tarija and Sucre, two other cities whose states are largely opposed to the Morales government. On the news I saw footage of students in Tarija burning pictures of Morales and the Wiphala- a symbolic flag for indigenous groups of the central Andes and the Bolivian Amazon (multi-coloured checkered flag found below). I am having trouble finding information on exactly what is happening in Sucre, but FONCRESOL has said that it’s best that we wait a bit before heading down there.

In Sucre, government opposition and racism stems from a deeply rooted conservatism that still clings on to colonial ideals, whereas in Santa Cruz, anti-Morales and racist sentiments seem to mostly stem from the state’s recently acquired resource wealth.

I was pretty bummed about the delay at first because as much as I love living in a hotel in La Paz, I am eager to get started with my work in Sucre. Having said that, I guess it is a mixed blessing for me because after our trip to Lake Titicaca this weekend I seem to have come down with a case of what I am inappropriately dubbing ‘Che’s revenge’ (the Bolivian version of Mexico’s Moctezuma’s revenge)...so as you can imagine the thought of sitting on a 12hr bus ride through mountainous terrain was causing me some stress.
And of course I am grateful that my employers are watching out for my safety.

Most people think that tensions should die down after this weekend and that I will be able to travel to Sucre sometime on Monday, but in the meantime I still feel anxious and frustrated. I don't have the mindset of a tourist right now because I know that I came here to work here for 5 months. If I was just here to travel I would be happy to have another free day of sightseeing, but that's not why I came here.
The frustration I'm experiencing while stranded here in La Paz has reminded me of how much I take my life in Canada for granted. In Canada I have never had to change my plans due to violent outbreaks throughout the country and my life has never been put on hold because of any sort of political uprising. Furthermore, the changes that the Morales government is making involve the creation of basic social services that I've always had at my fingertips.

In an attempt to make myself feel more deserving of my Canadian citizenship, yesterday I went to the embassy and picked up some forms that will allow me to vote in Canada's upcoming October election. It made me feel very proactive and responsible so I'm glad I went.