Bolivians end oil field protest

Bolivia has Latin America's second largest gas reserves

Security forces in Bolivia have regained control of an oil field that had been seized by peasants in the east of the country.

Workers quickly resumed pumping natural gas to neighbouring Argentina, one of Bolivia's main importers.

A police chief said that there had been no need to use force, as protesters had agreed to leave the site peacefully.

The peasants occupied the site to press authorities for paving a local road and delivering land they already occupy.

The governor of the Santa Cruz province, Ruben Dario Cuellar, said that negotiations with the protesters would continue and that security forces would leave the area.

Authorities estimated that the two-day interruption of natural gas pumping left loses of $400,000.

Bolivia - the poorest country in South America - has Latin America's second largest gas reserves. Hydrocarbons are its main source of income.

Bolivian gas imports are vital to Argentina, which relies on natural gas to generate almost half of its electricity.