La Paz - The President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, ministers, MPs and community leaders today expressed their shock due to the assassination of deputy minister of Internal Affairs, Rodolfo Illanes, at the hands of mining cooperative workers.

Illanes was brutally beaten when he went to the region Panduro, 186 kilometers from La Paz, to talk with the miners who for several days remain blocking the roads.

'The President is deeply moved' said the Defense Minister Reymi Ferreira.

Illanes, from the Movement toward Socialism (MAS, in Spanish), took office last March after having other responsibilities during the 10 years of President Morales management.

'He was beaten to death', declared Ferreira, warning that this blood event will not go unpunished and that already is in the hands of justice.

Illanes, 54, had traveled to the conflict zone to ask cooperative workers the suspension of the roadblocks and the start of talks with the government.

The demonstrators reject a law authorizing the formation of unions under the pretext that it is harmful for the functioning of the organization.

According to authorities, the real background of the protests is the interest of members to benefit from tax exemptions sector while signing direct contracts with transnationals, something contrary to the Constitution.

During the three days of violent demonstrations, a photographer for the newspaper La Razon and a camera operator of the Red Uno television station were also attacked.

The Defense Minister denied the deployment of military troops to the conflict zone and attributed the rumors to opposition sectors.