“We repudiate the actions of the Civic Committee, we know that (the call for a strike) is political, they are not concerned about the needs of the people,” the president of the Santa Cruz Urban Youth, Juan José Aguachi, said in statements to the state channel Bolivia Tv.

The youth leader assured that the protest called for this Friday by the Pro Santa Cruz Committee supposedly in rejection to the results of the census exercise responds to “pure political interests”.

“Mr. (Fernando) Larach, (president of the pro Santa Cruz Committee), is only seeking a candidacy, as are some other political actors, who are demonstrating on the issue of the Census, we know very well,” he warned.

He criticized that the strikes and blockades affect the people who “live on what they earn per day” and indicated that the youth of Santa Cruz will be on vigil.

He said that, at least in the populous Plan Tres Mil neighborhood, they will not abide by this “political” measure.

The director of the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Humberto Arandia, reiterated that the results of the 2024 Census are consistent with the demographic evolution of the country.

He clarified that those who reject them are politicians who are projecting themselves as candidates for the 2025 presidential elections and are engaging in demagogy.

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