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Architects of cuts: Thatcher, Biffen and Lawson dow charges for school meals, milk and transport; another rundown in the NHS, and another massive leap in prescription charges; a huge % cut in local authority social services; rising travel costs, rates, rents and prices; and 21,000 more teachers on the dole. These are just some of the main effects of the Tories' latest £3.6 billion spending cuts. They admit that unemployment next year will rise by at least 300,000. so, to keep workers' resistance in check, they are INCREASING spending on two items - "law and

Bolivia

Last Thursday's overthrow of the government of Walter Guevara Arze by a sector of the army headed by Col. Alberto Natusch Busch has thrown the imperialist strategy for Bolivia into confusion and opened a period of acute political conflict.

The overthrow of rightist Guevara Arze was in itself by no means unexpected.

Dress rehearsal

The military had already run an uncèrtain dress rehearsal two weeks before when an isolated jungle garrison 'proclaimed' in defence of ex-dictator Banzerwho was being tried for treason by the newly elected congress.

Commander-in-Chief General David Padilla was then able to isolate the rising.

But the bulk of the armed forces were clearly greatly alarmed at the growing militancy of the working class after the July elections and the pitiful incapacity of the bourgeois politicians to share the spoils of power in an organised manner and control the masses.

Both of the two wings of the MNR (the petty bourgeois nationalist party that came to power after the 1952 Revolution) failed to gain an absolute majority in the election.

The upshot was that Guevara was appointed as interim president by the Bolivian Congress until yet further elections could be held which would resolve the impasse.

In the 86 days of his rule Guevara-the 'constitutional' president for whom not a single person had cast a vote-attempted to establish an independent power base through a series of manoeuvres that would allow him to extend his term until 1981.

General strike

This drew growing opposition from Congress and the COB (the Bolivian TUC) which last week announced a 24hour general strike against Guevara's plans to delay Guevara's antics were also too much for the leadership of the MNR-Autentico the wing of the MR which had served under Banzer and had grown used to exercising power on the backs of the military.

Two members who have a particularly long history of pro-imperialist conspiracy, Guiltermo Bedregal and Jose Fellmann Velarde, cast around for a suitable military gorila to hoist them back into power and eliminate the threat of the miners and the organised working class.

Cont'd page 3, col 1. NI*SIcuts willnake Visica ASHAME DEP TIRI COHSEN ARES COUNCIL IVEorder" and the armed forces. CDLM Resolution . : Open Letter to Tony George Woodcock.. Benn

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Background to BL crisis