LatinNews Daily Report - 30 April 2012

Bolivia/Brazil | Bilateral tensions. On 29 April Bolivia’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Alurralde, announced a meeting for 2 May with Brazil’s ambassador to La Paz, Marcelo Biato, to discuss alleged acts of aggression committed by Bolivian soldiers against Brazilian peasants living in the border area of Acre-Pando. According to Brazilian reports, the Bolivian military has occupied houses, killed livestock and mistreated Brazilians. The Bolivian media is reporting that the build-up of tension has led the Brazilian government of President Dilma Rousseff to send additional troops to the area until the situation returns to normality. Under a bilateral agreement, the Brazilian peasants are due to be relocated to different areas by the end of 2012 but according to the Brazilian press, the Bolivian government has given them until 25 May to leave their lands.