tagged w/ Bolivia
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Morales, a former coca grower union leader who won the presidency in 2006, has embarked on a policy of "zero cocaine, not zero coca" in the Andean nation where the coca plant is widely chewed or drunk as a tea by indigenous people. Under Morales' program, farmers in specified areas are allowed to grow small amounts of coca for traditional and industrial uses.
Already cool relations between Bolivia and the US grew even chillier over the weekend, as Bolivian President Evo Morales announced Saturday that he was suspending anti-drug operations by the US DEA within Bolivian territory. In making the announcement, Morales accused the DEA of interfering in internal Bolivian affairs and trying to undermine his government.
"From today all the activities of the US DEA are suspended indefinitely," Morales said Saturday in remarks reported by the BBC. "Personnel from the DEA supported activities of the unsuccessful coup d'etat in Bolivia," he added, referring to a September massacre of Morales supporters that left 19 people dead. "We have the obligation to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the Bolivian people."
more@linkMorales, a former coca grower union leader who won the presidency in 2006, has... more
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Bolivian leader Evo Morales on Thursday accused the US government of encouraging drug trafficking as he explained his decision to banish the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).Bolivian leader Evo Morales on Thursday accused the US government of encouraging drug... more
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CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales said Saturday that he was suspending the work of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Bolivia and that the government will take control of its activities in the war on drugs.
Bolivian President Evo Morales, seen last month, says his government will control its anti-drug activities.
Morales made the remarks in a speech in a remote part of Bolivia, carried on national television and radio stations.
The announcement comes more than a month after Morales kicked DEA agents out of the country's coca-producing Chapare region, saying the government could no longer protect them amid a growing revolt. At least 30 people died in the violence, and Morales accused Washington of fomenting the unrest.
Bolivia and the United States each expelled the other's ambassadors in September as well, and Morales launched a verbal assault against the U.S. government at the United Nations General Assembly.
For its part, the United States accused Bolivia of not doing enough to stop the flow of drugs out of the country. Last month, President Bush said he had proposed cutting off special trade deals with Bolivia "until it fulfills its obligations."
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U.S. suspends trade deal with Bolivia
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As he left Bolivia after his expulsion, U.S. ambassador Philip Goldberg warned the Bolivian government that reducing ties with Washington was "a grave mistake."
Morales' accusations that the United States had helped foment the violence in his country are "false and baseless," Goldberg said in September, and Morales "insulted us."
The DEA has not been officially notified of any suspension or expulsion, spokesman Garrison Courtney said Saturday. He would not say how many agents are in Bolivia for security reasons but said it was not a significant presence.
"If this is true, it is an unfortunate situation," Courtney said. "We've been working with our counterparts for over 30 years and have a tremendous working relationship with our Bolivian counterparts."
The violence broke out in September as Morales, the nation's first Indian president, battled an autonomy movement in the natural gas-rich eastern departments of Santa Cruz, Pando, Beni and Tarija. The movement was triggered by Morales' pledge to redistribute wealth from the eastern departments to the country's poorer highlands.
Some of Latin America's leaders have supported Morales. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, long a critic of Bush and the United States, expelled the U.S. ambassador from Caracas in solidarity with Bolivia and recalled his own ambassador from Washington.
In late October, Bolivia's Congress approved an agreement between the government and opposition leaders to hold a referendum on a constitution that would grant more power to the nation's Indian majority, according to the Bolivian Information Agency, or ABI, the state news agency.
To spur the negotiations, ABI reported, Morales agreed to seek only one more term as president.
The agreement followed weeks of negotiations between the government and political opponents, including the governors of the eastern provinces.
CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales said Saturday that he was suspending the work... more
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Bolivian president Evo Moraels announced the US drug enforcement operations in Bolivia were being halted. Morales accused the agency of encouraging anti-government protests, but did not say whether staff would be asked to leave the country. He also announced that the Bolivian government had eradicated over 12,300 acres of illegally planted coca.
Bolivian president Evo Moraels announced the US drug enforcement operations in Bolivia... more
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Bolivian President Evo Morales on Saturday suspended operations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, an agency he has accused of spying and helping to destabilize his government.
Morales announced the indefinite cutoff in a speech in which he said his government has wiped out more than 12,300 acres of illegally planted coca this year. Coca is the raw material for cocaine, but Bolivians use it in its natural form as a traditional tea or chew.
Morales has accused the DEA of working with and even financing his political opposition, as well as fomenting regional anti-government protests and using its drug plane for espionage.
U.S. officials have denied any political involvement by American anti-drug efforts.
"There were DEA agents who worked to conduct political espionage and to fund criminal groups so they could launch attacks on the lives of authorities, if not the president," Morales said.
Morales denied a DEA request to fly an anti-drug plane over South America's poorest country early last month, saying Bolivia doesn't need U.S. help to control its coca crop.
The country then expelled the U.S. ambassador, and Washington later put Bolivia on an anti-narcotics blacklist that cuts trade preferences. Bolivian business leaders estimate that loss of the tariff exemptions would cost South America's poorest country as many as 20,000 jobs.
Bolivian President Evo Morales on Saturday suspended operations by the U.S. Drug... more
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PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — The U.S. is suspending a trade deal with Bolivia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday. She called it unfortunate but necessary because Bolivian President Evo Morales has failed to improve anti-drug efforts.
Rice made the announcement just as Bolivian envoys arrived at the U.S. Trade Representative's office in Washington to lobby for continued participation in the Andean trade pact, which lowers U.S. tariffs for Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in exchange for cooperation with the U.S. war on drugs.
Bush last week signed a six-month extension of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act, and it wasn't immediately clear when Bolivia would begin losing out. Rice said the U.S. Congress will decide.
The suspension will raise U.S. tariffs on imports of Bolivian jewelry, textiles, wood and other products. Bolivia estimates that 30,000 workers would lose their jobs and more than US$300 million in exports would be priced out of the U.S. market.
Morales has said his people shouldn't fear reduced trade with Bolivia's third-largest trading partner after Brazil and Argentina, but he characterized it as a punitive sanction along the lines of the U.S. embargo against Cuba. "We don't have to be afraid of an economic blockade by the United States against the Bolivian people," Morales said.
Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Bolivia have soured recently. Morales booted the U.S. ambassador last month, accusing him of supporting his opponents, which the former ambassador denies. The U.S. sent Bolivia's top diplomat home in response.
Bolivia also demanded that U.S. development projects and Drug Enforcement Administration officials leave the coca-growing region of Chapare, prompting Washington to place Bolivia on an anti-drug blacklist, which triggered the recommendation by U.S. President George W. Bush to suspend Bolivia's participation.
Rice announced the suspension while visiting the resort of Puerto Vallarta to discuss Mexico's progress against drug cartels.PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — The U.S. is suspending a trade deal with Bolivia,... more
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Reporting from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico -- The United States is suspending a trade deal with Bolivia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday. She called it unfortunate but necessary because Bolivian President Evo Morales had failed to improve anti-drug efforts.
Rice made the announcement in Mexico, where she was discussing the fight of the government here against drug gangs, as Bolivian envoys arrived at the U.S. trade representative's office in Washington to lobby for continued participation in the pact. The agreement lowers U.S. tariffs for Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in exchange for cooperation with the U.S. war on drugs.
The suspension will raise tariffs on Bolivian jewelry, textiles, wood and other products. Reporting from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico -- The United States is suspending a trade deal... more
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Forrest Hylton : The fight is not over by any means but Bolivia has entered a new phase.
Bolivia's Congress ratified President Evo Morales' draft constitution on Tuesday, beginning a new phase to the president’s quest of empowering Bolivia’s long oppressed indigenous majority. Congress approved holding another referendum scheduled for January 25. Despite this development, Journalist and Author Forrest Hylton believes "the fight is not over by any means but [Bolivia] has entered a new phase."
Forrest Hylton is the author of Evil Hour in Colombia (Verso, 2006), and with Sinclair Thomson, co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (Verso, 2007). He is a regular contributor to New Left Review and NACLA Report on the Americas.
Forrest Hylton : The fight is not over by any means but Bolivia has entered a new... more
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Bolivia's Congress has approved holding a referendum on a new constitution that President Evo Morales says will empower the country's indigenous majority.
The decision came after hours of debate in which both sides made compromises, including an agreement by Mr Morales to seek only one further term in office.
The referendum will take place on 25 January and is likely to be passed. Bolivia's Congress has approved holding a referendum on a new constitution that... more
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Before the world financial crisis enveloped the world's news media and when news from Latin American actually made it across the Atlantic, there was the episode of diplomatic tit-for-tat tussling that involved the expulsion of US ambassadors from Bolivia, Venezuela and Honduras. Media outlets jumping naturally at the chance to picture yet another fiery anti-imperialist outburst by demagogue Hugo Chávez.
That the flurry of departing ambassadors had its origin in Bolivia is now long forgotten. With the US having retaliated by expelling Bolivia’s ambassador to Washington I would have that would have been that…just let the simmering US-Bolivian hostilities be. Let's just wait until a new US administration can come into the White House and proclaim their ‘good neighbourliness’ towards the region it sort out the mess – but that’s a topic to be discussed in another post further down the line.
But no... George Bush has taken it upon himself to ensure that Bolivia realizes the errors of their ways. Since 1991, Bolivia has benefited from the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPDEA) that allowed certain Bolivian exporters favourable access to the US market. This in exchange for Bolivian cooperation in tackling illegal coca production. Overriding Congress and their decision two weeks ago to extend the agreement, Bush has chosen in a single stroke threaten the livelihood of thousands of Bolivians, by suspending the agreement. A possible 20,000 Bolivians may lose their jobs as companies face closure without access to the lucrative US market.
Here is a video the Bolivian-based NGO, The Democracy Center posted showing the plight of a number of workers face in light of this decision by the Bush administration.
As much as I can sympathise with those who point to Morales' lack of diplomatic finesse in throwing out the US ambassador, I find it hard to agree that this justifies the decision by Bush to, in a single stroke, threaten the livelihood of thousands of Bolivians, especially in the midst of world financial crisis where it will be the Bolivias of the world that will face the direst of consequences. Besides, won't this only legitimise his anti-American stance and worsen legitimate US attempts to tackle coca production? Before the world financial crisis enveloped the world's news media and when news... more
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Forrest Hylton: There used to be a recognition of US spheres of influence - all that is over.
Russia and Bolivia strengthened their ties this week. With Moscow concluding a deal with La Paz to purchase five Russian civil defence helicopters. The deal also forms part of a strategy of Latin American integration, sidelining the United States, as countries like Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina among others, attempt to re assert control over their own progress. Forrest Hylton states that "there used to be a recognition of spheres of influence all that is over."
Forrest Hylton is the the author of Evil Hour in Colombia (Verso, 2006), and with Sinclair Thomson, co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (Verso, 2007). He is a regular contributor to New Left Review and NACLA Report on the Americas.
Forrest Hylton: There used to be a recognition of US spheres of influence - all that... more
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The HBO hit series 'Entourage' seems to have copied a real world flop with the fictitious film 'Medellin'. Read this article and notice the similarities between Steven Soderbergh's story about his film "Che" and Vinnie Chase and gang's Medellin. Some similarities:
Extremely long
No commercial appeal
Flopped at Cannes
Switch from english to spanish
Director criticisms
Straight to TV?
...any others?
The HBO hit series 'Entourage' seems to have copied a real world flop with... more
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Forrest Hylton: Latin America is leading world in multipolar forms of regional diplomacy.
Visiting the UN this week Bolivian President Evo Morales stated that mediation by UNASUR, The Union of South American Nations, is having a positive effect in a political crisis between his central government and eastern provinces demanding greater autonomy. Journalist and author Forrest Hylton believes that "Latin America is leading the world in multipolar forms of regional diplomacy."
Forrest Hylton is the the author of Evil Hour in Colombia (Verso, 2006), and with Sinclair Thomson, co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (Verso, 2007). He is a regular contributor to New Left Review and NACLA Report on the Americas.Forrest Hylton: Latin America is leading world in multipolar forms of regional... more
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Forrest Hylton: Morales in stronger position in fight with opposition governors.
UNASUR, The Union of South American Nations gave Bolivian president Evo Morales a universal declaration of support in his ongoing political struggle with autonomist forces in the Media Luna lowland provinces. Despite observers stating that Morales is struggling to keep the country together, Forrest Hylton believes that "Morales is in a stronger position than he was before."
Forrest Hylton is the the author of Evil Hour in Colombia (Verso, 2006), and with Sinclair Thomson, co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (Verso, 2007). He is a regular contributor to New Left Review and NACLA Report on the Americas.
Forrest Hylton: Morales in stronger position in fight with opposition governors.... more
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Latin American leaders support Morales as talks begin in Bolivia between Morales and opposition governors.
Bolivian president Evo Morales and opposition governors held talks on Thursday in attempt to defuse the country’s growing political crisis. The autonomists oppose any equitable redistribution of land and natural resources, and are demanding Morales cancel a referendum on a new constitution that would give Bolivia’s indigenous majority more power, and allow him to run for a second term. Over the last few days at least 30 people have been killed.
Latin American leaders support Morales as talks begin in Bolivia between Morales and... more
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In annual findings on the global illegal drug trade, Bush for the first time says Bolivia had "failed demonstrably" to meet its obligations to battle narcotics under international accords and US laws governing overseas aid.
Bush's comments came in a memorandum for US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, dated Monday but released at the White House on Tuesday, identifying 20 major drug transit or drug producing countries.
Bush put Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela on the list.
The US president noted that appearing on the list does not necessarily mean governments are not trying to stem the flow of illegal drugs or are not cooperating with Washington.
Instead, it can be "the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced despite the concerned government's most assiduous enforcement measures," he says.
In annual findings on the global illegal drug trade, Bush for the first time says... more
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AFP
September 16, 2008
The Peace Corps, a US government program that sends Americans to volunteer in developing countries, has temporarily halted its work in Bolivia on security concerns, it said Tuesday.
The move came after political tensions in the impoverished South American country erupted in street violence that left at least 18 dead, and with Bolivia-US diplomatic ties seriously frayed by the expulsion last week of the US ambassador to La Paz.
“With growing instability in Bolivia, all volunteers were consolidated on Sunday, September 14, and have now been moved to Peru where they will be transitioning out of service or to another post,” the Peace Corps said in a statement.
The Corps had a total of 113 volunteers in Bolivia, working on agriculture, business development, environment, health, and youth development projects, said Amanda Beck, a Peace Corps spokeswoman.
The last time the Peace Corps moved volunteers out of a country was at the beginning of the year in Kenya, during unrest following a disputed presidential election, but they have since returned, Beck said.
Staff at the Peace Corps’ Bolivian headquarters in Cochabamba will monitor the situation to assess when volunteers can go back, she said.
Bolivia’s enduring political conflict blew up into deadly street violence last week as Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, struggled to assert his authority over the eastern half of his country.
Anti-government protesters, backed by the governors of five states which are pushing for autonomy, seized control of government offices and airports and clashed with indigenous peasants supporting Morales.
FULL ARTICLEAFP
September 16, 2008
The Peace Corps, a US government program that sends... more
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Forrest Hylton: US is being shut out as South American regional body tries to solve crisis on its own.
The ongoing conflict in Bolivia saw at least 30 people killed on the weekend, as the opposition clashed with governement forces. The opposition headed by wealthy landowners have vowed to make Bolivia ungovernable. Martial law was declared on Saturday in the province of Pando. Vice President Alvaro Garcia held meetings with the opposition in La Paz, whilst President Morales is attending an emergency UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) summit in Chile.
Forrest Hylton is the the author of Evil Hour in Colombia (Verso, 2006), and with Sinclair Thomson, co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (Verso, 2007). He is a regular contributor to New Left Review and NACLA Report on the Americas.Forrest Hylton: US is being shut out as South American regional body tries to solve... more
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What with Iraq’s “success” so fragile that it might shatter, Afghanistan becoming even more deadly than Iraq ever was, Pakistan threatening retaliation for cross-border raids, Russia baring its teeth over the Caucusus conflict started by John McCain’s pal - with all those, you know the last thing America wants is a disturbance down South America way.
Unfortunately, that’s what’s happening. Bolivia is swiftly slipping into violent chaos and the Bolivian leader, Evo Morales, has blamed it all in American provocateurs. He has expelled the US ambassador to Bolivia and, in solidarity, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez has sent the ambassador to his country packing too. Washington has responded by throwing out envoys from Bolivia and Venezuela and freezing the assets of three aides to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the US regretted the actions of Venezuela and Bolivia.
“This reflects the weakness and desperation of these leaders as they face internal challenges, and an inability to communicate effectively internationally in order to build international support,” he said.
Bolivian and Venezuelan allegations - including that the US supports continuing anti-government protests in Bolivia - were false “and the leaders of those countries know it”, Mr McCormack added.
Meanwhile, Honduras has refused the credentials of a new US ambassador, postponing his appointment.
…Freezing the assets of the three Venezuelan aides, the US Treasury accused them of “materially assisting the narcotics trafficking” of rebels in Colombia.
Analysts say the trio - Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, Henry de Jesus Rangel Silva and Ramon Rodriguez Chacin - are members of Mr Chavez’s inner circle.
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega may yet tell the US ambassador there to take a hike too - he’s saying he backs he Bolivian leader.
Perhaps Ortega is remembering when the current US Director of national Intelligence, John Negroponte, was working in Honduras on CIA covert operations in support of the contras. Those covert operations involved several other figures who are part of, or close to, the Bush administration. It’s OK to be paranoid when you have evidence they really are out to get you.
Now, just to make matters worse, the feud with Russia is getting all tangled up with the diplomatic feud in Latin America, as Russian forces get ready for joint military exercises with Venezuela. If there ever was or could have been a unipolar world, neoconservative foreign policy has ensured that it isn’t to be. With much of America’s military tied down in protracted occupations, fought to exhaustion by ragtag militias, other nations aren’t as cowed as the used to be.What with Iraq’s “success” so fragile that it might shatter,... more
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