A group of disabled people was hanging for several hours off a bridge in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba in protest at the lack of support for disabled people by a government they claim has failed to listen and respond to their demands.
This is the latest in a series of protests and actions by frustrated disability activists seeking to raise awareness about the situation confronting disabled people in the country and to get their government to support.
The government budget allocated to disabled people is $900,000, but activists claim that only half is paid out to disabled people, the other half used instead to fund projects. The protesters say this is not enough and are asking for the monthly state benefits to be raised to 500 bolivianos (US$70 a month).
Those protesting stated that since the government has not responded, they were forced to resort to drastic measures. The protest blocked traffic for several hours, with protesters announcing they will continue protesting until they get the benefits they have been demanding for months.
Protesters also threatened to take their campaign to President Evo Morales in La Paz if their needs are not met and a massive March is planned on wheelchairs all the way to the Bolivian capital. Protesters claimed they had attempted to explain the reasons for the protest to Evo Morales during a ceremony, but were met by police repression.
