New neighbors

Something interesting and unexpected has happened to our neighborhood this week. Monday, a group of people showed up and set up their tarps on the hillside above our house. Literally overnight a small tent town popped up and it is growing daily. Yesterday afternoon and today I went up there to speak with our new neighbors and see what is going on and there was an article in the paper here yesterday about it too. They are land invaders, squatters really, who have come to stake their claim to a piece of land. Actually, this whole thing is set up by a national organization called Movimiento Sin Techo (Movement without a roof) that helps organize these squatter camp protests. Here is an issue that I have read about and even written about some while in college and now it is happening in our front yard. What do you do? It is evident now that there is no black and white answer. There are people here from all over the country, even some of our neighbors. In fact, Modesta and her boys (our neighbors and fellow church members) are up there. There are people who genuinely need a place to live and others who just hope they will get a free title to the land and sell it off. The president has said before that every Bolivian deserves 300 square meters of land, and these people are here to stake their claim-- on a national reserve and above the 2750 meters above sea level mark (human settlement above this level is prohibited). Formal complaints by the neighbors have already been filed and everyone is a little on edge because police action is expected. Basically, the people show up in the hundreds (the organizers here expect over 1000 people by the weekend) and start building hoping that the government will just give them the land because of the sheer size of the settlement. There is usually a standoff with officials and neighbors say that last time people squatted there the police swept through burning tents and shooting tear gas and one man was killed in the violence. That is what most disturbs me because there are whole families up there with lots of children. This evening I watched the sun set from up there with a 76 year old woman there with her son and daughter-in-law and 6 grandchildren, all sleeping under one tarp. What do you do? One could argue they are just breaking the law, but you could respond that the laws are set up against them so they can't legitimately get land. Or you could say it is a national park, but then what matters more, helping people or helping save a little barren land? Then again, if they let them have it, there will be no stopping and we really will end up with a natural and human disaster. Ther reason the 2750 meters line exists is to prevent landslides and pollution in the runoff from the mountains induced by all the construction. Anyways, Ann is telling me it is time to eat, so we will update you again soon.