BOLIVIA: After Recent Riots, Evo May Stockpile Food.

BLOOMBERG/
S. Shahriari /

   Perhaps shaken from food riots that forced him to cancel a recent visit to the mining city of Oruro, President Evo Morales may tap the central bank's record $10 billion usd reserves to boost agricultural production and stockpile food.
   Consumer prices jumped by 1.76% in December from November, the biggest monthly rise since May 2008.
   “The Bolivian state for the first time will produce food in order to stock it,” said Finance Minister Luis Arce. “We are looking at a food crisis that is coming.”

BOLIVIA: Evo Flees Oruro After Protesters Boo Him And Blast Dynamite.

BBC//

    Are the populist tremors from Cairo now being felt in La Paz?
    President Evo Morales abruptly left the southern city of Oruro, returning to La Paz after protesters angered by rising prices booed him and set off dynamite.
    There were also protests in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba over the rising food prices, especially a doubling of sugar costs and shortages.
 Apparently igniting dynamite is common in trade union protests,because explosive are available to miners, but injuries are rare.