A group of civic organizations protested on Tuesday outside the airport of the Bolivian city of Tarija, southern Bolivia, against the arrival of President Evo Morales, who was supposed to meet with their counterparts, the Presidents of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, an AFP journalist reported.

Some 200 demonstrators were located at the gates of the airport Oriel Lea Plaza, burning tires and attempting to enter forcibly to the airport facilities. However, several platoons of policemen and soldiers had prevented their goal.

Reynaldo Bayard, a civic leader of Tarija, the richest gas region in Bolivia, told AFP that they reject the presence of the two other presidents "who have been campaigning in favor of Morales" some days before the recall referendum where the Bolivian president, his Vice-President and eight governors have put their positions at the disposal of electors.