A group headed by a former ombudsman began a hunger strike Wednesday at the city of La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia, to press Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada to resign.

The move is intended to "recover true democracy" in the country which over several weeks has faced a serious social crisis leading to the deaths of 76 people, said Ana Romero, leader of the strike.

The hunger strike began Wednesday afternoon at a downtown La Paz Catholic church. Among the participants are Jesuit Ricardo Zeballos and Vice President of the Standing Human Rights Assembly, Sacha Lloreti.

Hundreds of inhabitants of the city of El Alto were also participating in the hunger strike. El Alto declared a "civic strike" several weeks ago against the government of Sanchez de Lozada.

Sanchez faced massive protests after the government decided to export natural-gas to the United States and Mexico through a Chilean port.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2003)