Today in Labor History March 20, 1985: The Bolivian authorities sent in the army to crush a General Strike. Workers had launched the strike in response to austerity measures by the Siles Zuazo administration. They demanded higher wages, stable food supplies, price controls and the president’s resignation. At the time, inflation was 3,400%. 10,000 miners filled the streets of La Paz each day. The General Strike lasted 16 days and spread to Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca. On March 24, the miners accepted a government offer to quadruple the minimum wage. They eventually forced Zuazo to resign.
