-
-
Latin American leaders support Morales at UN
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 diplomacy. ... more -
Morales strengthened by Latin American leaders
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 -
Bolivia's Morales faces opposition governors
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 opposition governors. ... more -
Bolivia crisis worsens as emergency summit is held
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 crisis on its own. ... more -
Latin American Tensions, Ambassadors Expelled
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, Afghanistan becoming even more deadly than Iraq ever was, Pakistan threat... more -
Bolivia expels US ambassador
Forrest Hylton: It's unclear how Morales can appease the autonomists without betraying his platform.
Bolivian President Evo Morales stated that he was expelling US ambassador Philip Goldberg for allegedly inciting violent opposition protests. The Bolivian leader did not offer specific evidence against Goldberg, but he has long accused the diplomat of conspiring with Bolivia's conservative opposition. Meanwhile Anti-Morales protests reached a crescendo this week ,with the sacking and burning of government offices in Santa Cruz . Morales' opponents in the east are seeking a greater share of revenues from natural gas, as well as regional autonomy.
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: It's unclear how Morales can appease the autonomists without betraying his platform. ... more -
Bolivian 'state of siege' declared
LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- Bolivian authorities declared a state of siege to begin at midnight Friday in the eastern department of Pando, which has been the site of recent unrest.
Defense Minister Walker San Miguel and Minister of Government Alfredo Rada announced the move, which begins at midnight and lasts until 6 a.m.
Under the siege, constitutional guarantees are suspended, private vehicles without authorization are banned from the streets, groups are not allowed to meet; bars, restaurants and discos must close at midnight and residents are prohibited from carrying firearms, the officials said.
The announcement was made as a C-130 plane carrying federal troops landed in Santa Cruz at the civilian airport, which had been controlled for the past week by pro-autonomy forces.
An insurrection against Bolivian President Evo Morales in the eastern part of the country entered its second week Tuesday, with groups backed by local governors seizing control of government offices and airports and threatening to shut off a gas pipeline that feeds strategic fields in Argentina and Brazil. LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- Bolivian authorities declared a state of siege to begin at midnight Friday in the eastern department of Pando... more -
Eight killed in Bolivia clashes, US tensions rise
At least eight people were killed as violent anti-government protests flared in Bolivia on Thursday, creating havoc in the natural gas industry and raising tensions with the United States.
Opposition activists shot dead seven peasant farmers in the remote Amazon region of Pando, a government official said, describing the incident as a massacre. An employee of the opposition-led regional government was also killed.
"We're talking about a real massacre and the person responsible is the Pando governor," said Deputy Minister of Social Movements Sacha Llorenti.
President Evo Morales' leftist government blames the unrest on rightist governors who control four of the poor country's nine regions.
The opposition demands greater autonomy and energy revenue and opposes plans by Morales, a former coca farmer and Bolivia's first indigenous president, to rewrite the constitution and distribute land to the poor.
Washington ordered out the Bolivian ambassador on Thursday a day after Morales, a close ally of Venezuela's fiery leftist leader Hugo Chavez, expelled U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg.
Morales accused Goldberg of fanning the protests.
Chavez said he was expelling the U.S. ambassador from his oil-rich country in a show of support for Morales.
"The yankee ambassador in Caracas has got 72 hours to get out of Venezuela, in solidarity with Bolivia," he shouted at a political rally. He vowed earlier to come to the Bolivian president's aid if there was a coup.
In a sign of regional concern about the escalating chaos, Brazil's more moderate leftist government said it would not accept any attempt to overthrow Morales.
"We won't tolerate a rupture in the constitutional order of Bolivia," Marco Aurelio Garcia, foreign policy advisor to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told reporters.
Bolivian Finance Minister Luis Arce said the army was sending more troops to natural gas fields and border crossings with Brazil after protesters vandalized pipelines and stormed a pumping station, cutting natural gas imports to Argentina and temporarily halving exports to Brazil.
Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and its economy is heavily dependent on natural gas. Brazil is Bolivia's biggest foreign investor and half of its natural gas needs are met by Bolivian imports.
American Airlines canceled flights to Santa Cruz, and Bolivia's Erbol radio said gunfire wounded five people after a militia-style anti-Morales youth group stormed a market in a pro-Morales neighborhood in the city.
Troops were withdrawn from downtown Santa Cruz after several soldiers were beaten up in front of TV cameras earlier this week. The government response has been restrained.
However, Bolivia's ambassador to Brazil, Rene Dorfler, said the government was considering imposing martial law. At least eight people were killed as violent anti-government protests flared in Bolivia on Thursday, creating havoc in the natural gas... more -
Bolivia president asks US ambassador to leave
(AP) LA PAZ, Bolivia - President Evo Morales said Wednesday that he is expelling the U.S. ambassador in Bolivia for allegedly inciting violent opposition protests.
Morales’ announcement came hours after his government said a pipeline blast triggered by saboteurs forced the country to cut natural gas exports to Brazil by 10 percent.
"Without fear of the empire, I declare the U.S. ambassador ’persona non grata,’" Morales said in a speech at the presidential palace. He said he asked his foreign minister to send a diplomatic note to Ambassador Philip Goldberg telling the American to go home.
"We don’t want separatists, divisionists," Bolivia’s leftist president added.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid called the accusation "baseless" and said the U.S. government had not yet received a note about the ambassador.
The U.S. Embassy in Bolivia said on its Web site that Goldberg learned of Morales’ action during a meeting with Bolivia’s foreign minister. The statement said he was surprised at Morales’ "sudden decision" and was waiting for official diplomatic notification.
Morales’ close ally President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who also calls the United States "the empire," cheered the move, calling a two-week wave of increasingly violent anti-Morales protests the harvest of an alliance between Bolivia’s "extreme right" and the U.S. government.
(View the rest of this story at the link above) (AP) LA PAZ, Bolivia - President Evo Morales said Wednesday that he is expelling the U.S. ambassador in Bolivia for allegedly inciting... more -
Bolivia's president lands in Iran
Bolivian President Evo Morales has arrived in Iran to discuss trade and closer ties with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
His visit follows a trip made by Mr Ahmadinejad to La Paz last year, during which he pledged a $1.1bn (£600m) investment in the Andean nation.
The trip will be closely watched by the US, which has tense relations with Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Mr Morales has also been in Libya, for talks with leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Bolivia and Libya recently established diplomatic relations and the two men were expected to sign energy agreements.
(continued at link) Bolivian President Evo Morales has arrived in Iran to discuss trade and closer ties with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. ... more -
Morales wins referendum but opposition hits back
Forrest Hylton: The Morales government holds back on use of force against opponents.
As the tensions between the Morales Government of Bolivia and autonomists continue, Forrest Hylton states that "the basic issue comes down to who is going to get the money from the exploitation of hydrocarbon resources, and these autonomists want to make sure that they get the money, and they're going to carry out their completely illegal agenda, regardless of whether Evo wants to dialog with them or not."
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: The Morales government holds back on use of force against opponents. ... more -
Morales 'wins' tense Bolivia poll
Bolivia's President Evo Morales has claimed victory in a referendum on whether he should continue in power.
Unofficial results gave Mr Morales a convincing win, and he promised to continue his reforms, including the nationalisation of key industries. Four of six opposition governors, who have led violent protests against the president and demand more autonomy, also won the right to stay in office. The outcome of the vote is likely to leave Bolivia a divided, analysts say. "What the Bolivian people have expressed with their votes today is the consolidation of change," Mr Morales told thousands of cheering supporters in La Paz.
"We're here to move forward with the recovery of our natural resources, the consolidation of nationalisation, and the state takeover of companies," he told the crowd from the balcony of the presidential palace. The president congratulated the opposition governors who were re-confirmed in their posts and urged them "to work together" with him.
Unofficial exit polls said Mr Morales had won more than 60% of the vote. Official results are expected in next few days. In all, eight governors were subject to recall votes, and five of them were victorious, according to early projections. Three governors, including two Morales supporters, are set to lose their jobs and fresh elections will then be held.
Read more... Bolivia's President Evo Morales has claimed victory in a referendum on whether he should continue in power. ... more -
"Coca Yes, Cocaine No."
President of the Andean nation, Evo Morales has proven to be a skilled switch- hitter: Coca cultivation is under control and drug trafficking interdiction is up. The U.S. acknowledges the achievements, even as it remains skeptical of Morales' policies on the industrialization of non-narcotic coca products. Still, Morales has managed to meet at least some of the goals of the U.S. on his own terms, without turning into an enemy of his own people.
The current government's anti-drug trafficking methods are largely carry-overs from previous administrations; Morales credits the improved performance to a policy of devoting more resources to going after those who make the drugs, rather than those who grow the plant, under the slogan "Coca Yes, Cocaine No." According to the U.N., over 68,000 acres of coca are grown here, in South America's poorest country. Because the leaf has been a part of Andean culture and diet for thousands of years, Bolivian law allows for 30,000 acres of coca, a figure established by a 1971 study measuring the market size for the plant's use in tea, in rituals, or in chewing it to stave off exhaustion and hunger or to alleviate altitude sickness. The rest was always believed to end up as cocaine, primarily on the streets of Europe. President of the Andean nation, Evo Morales has proven to be a skilled switch- hitter: Coca cultivation is under control and drug traf... more -
Bolivia protests prevent summit
The leaders of Venezuela and Argentina have cancelled a planned meeting with Bolivia's president after violent clashes between police and protestors.
Presidents Hugo Chavez and Cristina Fernandez had been due to fly to Bolivia to discuss energy contracts. They cancelled the visit when protestors attempted to storm the runway at Tarija airport in the south. Tensions are high in Bolivia ahead of a referendum on whether President Evo Morales should remain in office. Mr Chavez, who is on a visit to Argentina, said calling off the meeting had been the best option in the circumstances.
Elsewhere, two miners died in clashes with police near Bolivia's largest tin mine, near Huanuni, where miners are demanding higher pensions. In Tarija, police used tear gas to break up dozens of protesters at the airport, shouting slogans against Mr Chavez, who had been scheduled to land there with Ms Fernandez. The military shut the airport after the protest.
Mr Chavez is a major ally of Mr Morales, and has pledged investment in Bolivia's rich natural gas fields. Argentina, which buys natural gas from Bolivia, had planned to sign energy accords in the Tarija meeting. Mr Morales will hold a recall referendum on 10 August, on whether he and eight regional governors should remain in office.
He is locked in a bitter dispute with regional governors who want more autonomy from the central government. In June the province of Tarija became the fourth region to vote in favour of greater independence. The government said that both the Huanuni and the Tarija protests were attempts by the opposition to weaken the president before the recall vote.
At the heart of Bolivia's political impasse is Mr Morales's attempt to push through constitutional changes that would enshrine reforms such as land redistribution to Bolivia's indigenous majority and the sharing of wealth with the poorer western regions. The proposals also include allowing the president to stand for re-election for another five-year term. The leaders of Venezuela and Argentina have cancelled a planned meeting with Bolivia's president after violent clashes between po... more -
Total Recall in Bolivia: Divided Nation Faces Historic Vote
Bolivia's president, vice president and eight of nine departmental governors are the subject of an upcoming recall vote.
Some opposition governors and their supporters will likely not respect the results of the recall vote, or even participate in it at all. Vice president Linera recently told reporters that "They will probably boycott some regions, those where they know will lose. I believe they are laying the grounds for some sort of boycott on August 10 to create conflicts." It is also not entirely clear if the recall vote will proceed at all. Magistrate Silvia Salame, the only judge on Bolivia's Constitutional Tribunal Court, has called on the National Electoral Court to postpone the recall vote until challenges to the vote's legality are considered. Government officials in the Morales administration said they would ignore her decision because the Tribunal requires three votes, not one, to make a decision. Salame is on the only judge serving on the court at this time. In response, Bolivian Electoral Court President José Luis Exeni stated the recall vote would proceed as planned.
While debates over the recall vote go on, controversy continues to surround how to best use Bolivia's gas and oil wealth. Right wing governors and civic leaders in Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando are demanding more funding from the profits of the oil and gas industry, which was partially nationalized by the Morales administration on May 1, 2006. Opposition leaders denounce that the Morales government redirected $166 million dollars from oil and gas tax revenue into a new pension plan that currently gives $315 dollars per year to Bolivians over 60 years old. Right wing governors have threatened to go on a hunger strike on August 4 in protest of the policy. Yet what the opposition doesn't acknowledge in their pleas is that their departments now receive many times more funding from the gas industry this year than they did in 2005 thanks to the Morales administration's nationalization policies and renegotiations with private and foreign gas companies.
Meanwhile, Washington's influence in the coca-producing Chapare region of Bolivia is waning, and Morales' is strengthening his own relations with other Latin American leaders as he presses forward with progressive economic and development policies. Bolivia's president, vice president and eight of nine departmental governors are the subject of an upcoming recall vote. ... more -
Bolivia in the National Geographic
Whilst Bolivian politics takes yet another ugly turn - Evo Morales in a recall referendum and further clamouring from the Eastern provinces - photos from a recent National Geographic article reminds us of the natural wonders that have been endowed upon this troubles Andean nation. For some truly great photos from Bolivia's vast Altiplano region check out this interactive map "Photography Map: Altiplano"
Of course the articles that go along with dazzling photos (Bolivia's New Order & Riding with Evo) try hard to give an accessible account of the rise of Bolivia's new order,"the ascent to power of a new elite of militant indigenous people." And along the way you do get the feeling that they've been carried away slightly by this over-romanticised indigenous uprising and fail to question the viability of the country's current direction. But hey it's the National Geographic for goodness sake, not The Economist. So hats off for them for that, and besides who honestly can't get slightly carried away by this astonishing rise from rural serfdom to the Presidential Palace, which the indigenous people have undertaken in recent decades...I was.
To read more go to www.thomasonlatinamerica.blogspot.com Whilst Bolivian politics takes yet another ugly turn - Evo Morales in a recall referendum and further clamouring from the Eastern prov... more -
Bolivia's gas-rich region 'chooses autonomy'
Bolivia's gas-rich Tarija province has voted overwhelmingly in favour of greater autonomy, exit polls suggest. About 80% of the voters in the eastern province backed the measure in a referendum, several pollsters said.
The result is seen as a rejection of left-wing President Evo Morales' drive to redistribute wealth in South America's poorest nation. Tarija is the fourth province to back greater autonomy. The central government says the polls are illegal.
According to several exit polls, just over 80% of voters in Tarija voted Yes in the referendum. However, pollsters say that most supporters of President Morales did not vote. Bolivia's gas-rich Tarija province has voted overwhelmingly in favour of greater autonomy, exit polls suggest. About 80% of the v... more -
Bolivia region 'chooses autonomy'
After being electing the country's first indigenous president, Evo Morales started trying to make good on his promises of a more equitable distribution of the nation's resources, only to be harassed at every turn.
This autonomy vote wby the wealthiest district was just the latest and most blatant affront of a privileged class lashing out now that they are no longer in control. Doesn't democracy suck when it doesn't favor the upper classes.
Morales needs to make sure that Santa Cruz gets no special treatment and that this vote is a dead letter of a bygone oligarchy. After being electing the country's first indigenous president, Evo Morales started trying to make good on his promises of a more ... more -
Bolivian Regions Claim Autonomy
"Three provinces in Bolivia have declared autonomy, protesting against constitutional reforms agreed by the government of President Evo Morales." "Three provinces in Bolivia have declared autonomy, protesting against constitutional reforms agreed by the government of Preside... more
-
Afro-Bolivians crown a king
Afro-Bolivians tired of a lack of representation in their country have ushered in a new leader: they've crowned a king to lead their community and fight for their interests Afro-Bolivians tired of a lack of representation in their country have ushered in a new leader: they've crowned a king to lead th... more
-
related topics
Evo Morales
Contributors (42)
Evo Morales
