Community | February 08, 2009 | 4 comments

Historic referendum passes in Bolivia

source: http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=3215

Vierotchka

http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31...

Thomson: New Bolivian Constitution marks first recognition of indigenous autonomy in 500 years. Part 1

Sinclair Thomson discusses the passing of a historic referendum in Bolivia that saw an over 60% support from the population. The referendum is precedent setting as, he says, “this is the first time Bolivia ever had a popular democratic vote on a constitution.” He explains that the referendum was an “intensely fought over campaign, and yet at the end it is a very solid victory. This Constitution came about as a result of a wave of uprisings against neo-liberal governments and the presence of transnational firms who exploit natural gas.” He continued to explain the referendum “is going to reconsolidate State control over strategic natural resources in the country,” and that “though it compromised a lot of [indigenous peoples’] demands, it recognizes their rights, and for the first time, their autonomy.”

Sinclair Thomson is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Department of History. He is the author of We Alone Will Rule: Native Andean Politics in the Age of Insurgency (2003) and co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (2007).

See Part 2 at:

http://current.com/items/89796993/bolivia_s_constitution_and_land_reform.htm

See Part 3 at:

http://current.com/items/89797001/bolivia_obama_and_unasur.htm

See Part 4 at:

http://current.com/items/89797009/bolivia_and_the_united_states.htm

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4 comments // Historic referendum passes in Bolivia

  • jubal
  • ejasun
  • ejasun
    • 0
      ejasun  

    • “this constitution is disappointing for indigenous peoples because it doesn’t allow for the redistribution of existing large scale agricultural estates,” but explains the reform will affect future ones.

      “one of the interesting things about this document, is that it is a compromised document. It’s the outcome of a struggle between popular social forces and the government on the one hand and right wing opposition forces based in the lowlands of Bolivia.” He concludes that, “this document represents the interests of both sides.”

      He continues to say

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWK7ShPcEjg&eurl=http://lanr.blogspot.com/2009/01/historic-referendum-passes-in-bolivia.html&feature=player_embedded

    • 4 years ago
  • lenhart
    • 0
      lenhart  

    • " ===This Constitution came about as a result of a wave of uprisings against neo-liberal governments and the presence of transnational firms who exploit natural gas.” He continued to explain the referendum “is going to reconsolidate State control over strategic natural resources in the country...=== "

      I want to believe that this development represents a sea change in world thinking about 'corporations'. These mere legal abstractions have throughout the 20th century taken on a life of their own, a 'personhood'. That mere concepts wrapped in legal sounding language should have rights that --by right --belong only to living, breathing human beings was always nuts, bloody stupid, and a threat to our survival as a race or species.

    • 4 years ago

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