From correspondents in Americas, 02:00 PM IST

The Bolivian government has declared curfew in the Amazonian province of Pando after days of violent clashes that have left 14 people dead.

Bolivian Defence Minister Walker San Miguel said Friday's move - which forbid civilians from carrying arms, restricts the freedom of assembly and increases the powers of the military and the police - was adopted in an effort to contain a wave of violence in the area that broke out Thursday.

Meanwhile, both sides said they wanted to restore dialogue to discuss differences over regional autonomy and government redistribution of wealth that are behind the clashes.

Contrary to earlier reports left-wing President Evo Morales did not meet with Mario Cossio, the opposition governor of the province of Tarija. Cossio met with Deputy President Alvaro Garcia Linera instead.

Sacha Llorenti, minister of social affairs, denied media reports that Morales met with Cossio. 'I want to stress that the president did not participate, the talks were held by Deputy President Linera,' he was quoted as saying by the La Razon newspaper. No details about the outcome of the talks were released.

'The first task is to pacify the country, and we hope to agree with President Morales on that. Our presence has to do with that clear will to lay the foundations and hopefully launch a process of dialogue that ends in a great agreement for national reconciliation,' Cossio said just before the meeting.

Bolivia's Armed Forces meanwhile warned they would tolerate neither prolonged violence by radical groups nor foreign interference in the country's internal affairs, as Venezuela's President Hugo Chanvez said he would come to Morales' aid.

No foreign military forces would be allowed to enter Bolivia's territory, army chief General Luis Trigo said.

'We will not tolerate any more the violent radical groups' actions,' Trigo said. The army would not move against the Bolivian people, he stressed, but would use force against violent protestors only in extreme cases.

On Friday, at least five people - three civilians including a reporter, and two members of the Bolivian security forces - were injured as the military reclaimed control of the airport at Pando's provincial capital, Cobija, medical staff said at the city's public hospital.

An initial report said one person was killed in the clashes at the airport, but neither medical sources nor police or military officials confirmed the report.

According to media reports, at least 14 people had died in Thursday's clashes between supporters of left-wing Bolivian President Evo Morales and followers of Pando Governor Leopoldo Fernandez was as high as 14. Forensic reports showed that all had suffered bullet wounds.

The clashes happened near the town of Porvenir, some 1,200 km north of La Paz. The dead were reportedly 13 peasants who supported Morales and one official of the governorship of Pando.

The opposition alliance - which controls the provinces of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija - is demanding the return of funds raised through a tax on natural gas, which the central government currently devotes to financing a pension for all citizens over 60.

They also demand recognition for regional autonomy statutes that voters in the provinces approved earlier this year, but which the left-wing populist Morales has so far considered unconstitutional.

The demands also include changes in the draft for a new national constitution and talks on economic questions, among others.

Morales has made it clear he is willing to discuss autonomy and the tax on the extraction of natural gas.

A major factor behind the conflict between the wealthy descendants of European immigrants and the country's impoverished indigenous majority, led by Morales, are the governments attempts to redistribute wealth.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)