“Why has there never been a coup in the United States?” [Chilean president Michele Bachelet] asked a group of investors.
“Because there is no U.S. embassy in the United States.”
For the first time publicly, Wolf traced the origins of contemporary developments back to President Bush's Nazi grandfather, Prescott Bush, and his plan to launch a fascist coup in the 1930's.
The UNODC survey shows that in Bolivia, coca cultivation has mainly increased in regions such as La Asunta and the Yungas de La Paz, where, to date, investment in development has been scarce. Conversely, regions that have benefited from support for licit livelihood schemes, like Alto Beni, have been able to limit coca cultivation.
.... The autonomous separatist statutes of Santa Cruz and the other eastern departments will take immediate effect after the constitution is approved, but the other autonomies—indigenous, regional—must undergo a long constituitive process before coming into effect.
On coca, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you put 20,000 people out of work in a nation where honest economic opportunity is scarce, some of those people are going to drift in other directions. In Bolivia those 'other directions' often include migrating to the Chapare to grow coca that isn't destined for chewing or tea, but the illegal drug market. It was the destruction of much of Bolivia's mining industry in the 1980s that sent so many ex-miners into the coca-for-cocaine business two decades ago. So while the Bush administration claims that its goal here is to battle increased coca growing for drugs, its actual policies seemed aimed at sending former textile workers right in that direction. Truly intelligent.
Finally, if the Bush administration thinks that its retaliatory moves aimed at Morales have made the U.S. more popular in the region, it might want to take another look there as well. The real mark of declining U.S. influence in the region can be measured by the Chilean summit held by the South American presidents last montn, in response to the Bolivia crisis. The messages from the Presidents was clear – U.S., we do not want you in the room.
At 10 a.m on Tuesday, heavy machinery belonging to the Municipality of Santa Cruz arrived at the location to begin the demolition of the homes, which were in the last phase of construction in the community of La Comarca, Warnes, 9 kilometres inside the city limits of Santa Cruz. Mayor Percy Fernández was forced to fire six high-level functionaries, including María Costas, the sister of prefect Rubén Costas.
The president said that "today is a historic day for Bolivia and the Department of La Paz", which will bring to life the dreams of the people by exploring their hydrocarbon riches.
Obama at the head of a sinking empire will not call off the millions of U.S. tax dollars that find their way into anti-Chavez organisations annually. Nor will Chavez budge on his grand ambition to inspire regional –and eventually world– socialism. What could a meeting between the two ultimately produce? It seems that the only beneficiary would be Chavez as the rising star, playing Obama in a showcase of how the Empire’s spots cannot change. Cooperation, even on a simple economic and mutually-beneficial level, cannot occur between nation-states with distinctly opposing and overriding ideological goals.
Then of course Bolivia banished the US ambassador and the violence miraculously stopped.
Morales did not appear to dampen his supporters' enthusiasm with his re-election concession, and he grinned widely as a small sea of hard-hatted miners, packed in too tight to dance, bobbed in place to the music of a traditional Andean folk group.
Santaoct, you got it right! Now let me throw one more thing into this. Don't you all find it a little coincidental that Evo's doctors (witch doctor) has prescribed several days of rest at the same time thousands of poor, neglected,innocent, unarmed (except for their guns and dynamite) indians are about to reach La Paz to put non- violent pressure on congress to pass a laww allowing a vote on a illegal constitution? The V.P. Linera has been put in charge, so now when the bullets and dynamite start flying, Evo had nothing to do with it. Just a thought.
Bolivia's Congress ratifies draft constitution
By DAN KEANE – 1 hour ago
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivia's Congress ratified President Evo Morales' draft constitution on Tuesday and sent it to a nationwide vote on Jan. 25, granting the leftist leader a hard-fought victory in his push to remake South America's poorest country.
Morales wiped away tears as he waded into a crowd of tens of thousands of supporters packed into the narrow streets of the capital to celebrate passage of the proposal that is designed to empower Bolivia's long-oppressed indigenous majority.
The popular Morales agreed on Monday to seek only one more five-year term in exchange for opposition lawmakers' support of the framework, expected to easily pass a referendum.
The proposed constitution has been embraced by the president's poorer, largely Indian supporters but has met fierce resistance from the middle and upper classes in the lowland east who say it expands Morales' powers and ignored their demands for greater provincial autonomy.
However, last-minute negotiations brought a compromise on the issue of provincial autonomy.
"This baby isn't perfect, as many have said," said Alejandro Colanzi, congressman from the centrist opposition party National Unity. "But it's our baby, and we can't deny it. Maybe life, as it unfolds, will perfect it."
The proposed constitution would let Morales serve two consecutive five-year terms, while the current charter says terms cannot be consecutive.
Morales had alarmed critics with initial plans to start counting the terms only after a victory in general elections, which would be held on Dec. 6, 2009, if voters approve the constitution.
But Morales' concession meets conservative opposition demands that his current term, begun in 2006, should count against the total, limiting his possible rule to 2014 instead of 2019.
The new constitution's lengthy bill of rights includes a long section dedicated to indigenous groups, and would grant them autonomy over their traditional lands and a "priority" share of the country's natural resources wealth.
to El Deber. The opposition will undoubtably claim that the Morales administration is on a vendetta against the the Marinkovic family (Tatiana's brother, Branko, is the wealthy landowner who heads the Pro-Santa Cruz Committee, which is adamently opposed to Morales and his reforms). Should be an interesting drama to follow.Marinkovic sostuvo que con la orden de detención hacia su hermana y la citación hacia su persona el Gobierno busca que interrumpa su gira internacional en la que denuncia a distintos organismos los atropellos realizados por el Evo Morales.
[Quick and sloppy translation: Marinkovic sustained that the detention order against his sister and the citation were because the government is searching for ways to interrupt his international tour denouncing certain organizations of abuses by Evo Morales. (Ed. note: Which, as I've said before, is a load of crap.)]
On Thursday evening WNET in New York will air an important new documentary by Emmy and Dupont Award winning producer Sherry Jones entitled “Torturing Democracy.” It appears on WNET and several other affiliates independently because PBS would not run the show—at least not until President Bush has left office.
Branko Marinkovic Starts International Tour to Denounce Human Rights in Bolivia
In order to make known the true political situation in the country and the scope of the rebellion and treason of the Pando, Beni, Tarija and Santa Cruz departments, theführer of the Pro-Santa Cruz Committee, Branko Marinkovic, launched an international tour by giving a press conference in the city of Sao Paolo on Monday morning.
Marinkovic told the Brazilian press that his presence is due to a mission entrusted by his fellow rebel civic leaders. "Last week I met with my fellow brownshirts, who asked me to inform the world that the autonomy cause is a cause to weaken the country's unity, to discard democracy, and to provide better opportunities for certain rich Bolivians. "
The Bolivian civic leader noted that the oligarchy of Bolivia, long used to slave labor and one of the most inequitable distributions of land and resources, is now threatened and persecuted politically--or is at least being asked to consider helping the poor in the poorest country in South America--by the Movement Toward Socialism. "My fellow oligarchs asked me to show to the international community the continuing violations of human rights by the Santa Cruz Youth Union, deaths caused by my friend the disgraced ex-prefect of Pando department Leopoldo Fernandez, the confinements and the suspension of liberties of the indigenous Bolivians, and the constant threats, blackmail, and violence that the rebel prefect governments use with impunity."
Marinkovic said that as leader of the Pro-Santa Cruz Committee, he has a duty to leave his country--because he is hated in the capital, La Paz, and would likely be lynched there--and make these truths known in defense of all those civic leaders who todaythreaten the democracy of Evo Morales, who with 67% of the popular vote in the last election is an extraordinarily popular leader. "We will put all our effort to defend the civic leaders of Beni, Pando, and Tarija, who today will prosecute the legitimate government of Bolivia and the dirty Indians who make a majority of this country and must be subjugated so that we can maintain our standard of living."
The autonomist leader said that after visiting Brazil, he will relocate to the headquarters of human rights in Costa Rica and the UN headquarters in the United States, and will meet with fascists and false human rights organizations in Latin America (such as the HRF). "I will not rest until the international community understands that Bolivian democracy must be destroyed and that there is great concern for us coddled rich people, and we will escalate violence to destroy the supporters of of the legitimate leader of Bolivia, Evo Morales, whom, I might add, is a dirty Indian," Marinkovic added.
"In Bolivia, we are violating human rights, we are violating the law, and it is inconceivable that the president initiate an march in the town of Caracollo to the seat of government in La Paz, which aims reinforce democracy. Instead of supporting democracy, the Bolivian President Evo Morales should think about our white skins and the tens of families who need S.U.V.s, slave labor, and legal impunity to support our opulent lifestyles."
Branko Marinkovic inició una gira internacional para denunciar violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en Bolivia
Con el fin de dar a conocer la verdadera situación política del país y los alcancesde la propuesta autonómica de los departamentos de Pando, Beni, Tarija y Santa Cruz, el presidente del Comité pro Santa Cruz, Branko Marinkovic, inició una gira internacional dando una conferencia de prensa en la ciudad de San Pablo este lunes en horas de la mañana.
Marinkovic indicó a la prensa brasileña que su presencia se debe a una misión encomendada por sus pares cívicos de las regiones autónomas, "la semana pasada estuve reunido con mis colegas cívicos, quienes me pidieron dar a conocer al mundo que la causa autonómica es una causa para la unidad del país, para fortalecer la democracia y para brindar mejores oportunidades para los bolivianos".
El cívico boliviano señaló que en estos momentos están amenazados y perseguidos políticamente por el Movimiento al Socialismo, "me pidieron que muestre a la comunidad internacional las permanentes violaciones a los Derechos Humanos que viene ejecutando el Gobierno de Evo Morales, las muertes provocadas por el Ministro Juan Ramón Quintana en Pando, los confinamientos y la suspensión de las libertades de los bolivianos que diariamente nos despertamos angustiados por las permanentes amenazas y chantajes que viene desarrollando el Gobierno nacional."
Marinkovic aclaró que como líder del Comité pro Santa Cruz, tiene el deber de salir de su país y dar a conocer estas verdades y salir en defensa de todos aquellos dirigentes cívicos que hoy se encuentran amenazados, "vamos a poner toda nuestro esfuerzo para defender a los dirigentes cívicos de Beni, Pando y Tarija, que hoy se encuentran perseguidos".
El líder autonomista indicó que luego de visitar Brasil, se trasladará a la sede de los Derechos Humanos en Costa Rica, la sede de la ONU en Estados Unidos y se reunirá con los intelectuales y organizaciones de Derechos Humanos de Latinoamérica; "no descansaremos hasta que la comunidad internacional entienda que en Bolivia la democracia está en peligro y que existe una gran preocupación de la población civil por la escalada de violencia que promueven los partidarios de Evo Morales", finalizó Marinkovic.
"En Bolivia se están violando los Derechos Humanos, se está violando las leyes, y es inconcebible que el Presidente de la República inicie en persona una marcha de la localidad de Caracollo a la sede de gobierno en La Paz, que tiene el objeto de amedrentar y chantajear a la democracia. En vez de atacar a la democracia y perseguir a los bolivianos, el Presidente Evo Morales debería pensar en nuestro país y los miles de familias que necesitan empleo, progreso y que la canasta familiar sea accesible a todos"; Branko Marinkovic en conferencia de prensa con medios televisivos de San Pablo, Brasil.
“Peace Corps, unfortunately, has become another weapon in the U. S. diplomatic arsenal,” said Sarah Nourse, 27, of Mechanicsville, Md., another volunteer who opted out.
"...with 67% of the vote, Evo Morales is one of the most popular presidents in Latin America, if not the world."
"..there is very little difference in Latin America policy between Democrats and Republicans." (in response to what Bolivians think of the upcoming U.S. elections)
"If I want to change a light bulb in the prefect's office, I have to send away to La Paz to do it," explained a spokesman for the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee.
Rascals in the Medialuna Lost This Last Confrontation and I Dragged Them to the Negotiating Table--Now I've Just Gotta Shorten My Nickname, or at Least Talk to These Crazy Bloggers Who Use It for Parenthetical Remarks!" Morales. So I had to click on the Google a bit to gain insight into who/what/where this "Human Rights Foundation" is that's been blaming the Sept. 11 massacre in Pando on Morales. And it looks like a kooky far-right organization on whose board sits one Armando Valladares, a Cuban exile (and, according to reports, a former "terrorist and Batista henchman") who recently wrote in a Spanish-language publication "that electing Barack Obama as the next U.S. President, would go against 'the values, principles and ideals that have shaped this great nation,' because the Democrat candidate strongly supports abortion, promotes the adoption of children by gay couples and advocates to terrorists." Ah, so the HRF's got some Bush fedeyeen on its board. O.K., but that doesn't mean it's biased, right? Well, it seems this "human rights" organization is only interested in criticizing Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador! (O.K., I exaggerate: It's got a pretty well-timed post on its website about this new tyrant in Chile named Pinochet. Really: Check it out.)Despite pledges by President George W. Bush and American intelligence officials to the contrary, hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they called friends and family back home, according to two former military intercept operators who worked at the giant National Security Agency (NSA) center in Fort Gordon, Georgia [...]
"These were just really everyday, average, ordinary Americans who happened to be in the Middle East, in our area of intercept and happened to be making these phone calls on satellite phones," said Adrienne Kinne, a 31-year old US Army Reserves Arab linguist assigned to a special military program at the NSA's Back Hall at Fort Gordon from November 2001 to 2003.
Kinne described the contents of the calls as "personal, private things with Americans who are not in any way, shape or form associated with anything to do with terrorism."
She said US military officers, American journalists and American aid workers were routinely intercepted and "collected on" as they called their offices or homes in the United States.
“They are intimidating our people. Yesterday an event occurred – they shot the driver of Mayor Edwin Cuellar of the municipality of Santos Mercado, and he is wounded. A girl was raped by these same groups. Last night in the community of Piedras, they tied up and offended the honor of this girl, until the members of the community came to her rescue. She is currently in the house of a schoolteacher. Because of these incidents, women can not go to where they wash and bring water. People come down from the mountain, in what seem to be planned attacks. In the municipality of Gonzalo Moreno, the brother of the head of the city’s human resources department was run down with a motorcycle. Currently he is at the Hospital in Riberalta, this has also been done by the same group of men who were hoods over their heads. These are only the cases that we know about; but surely there are many which we haven’t heard about yet.
Basulto, according to Martinez,:
… claims to have “fifteen documents” that irrefutably prove a homosexual relationship between Cortés and Moctezuma, and that, in a nutshell, Mexico was lost because of a queer (”México se perdió por una loca.”)
[Suspending Bolivia's trade agreements altogether] would undermine the anti-drug strategy - which seeks to wean poor farmers from the coca trade by opening the American market to other products - and play right into Morales's hands.
WITH U.S. attention fixed elsewhere, a significant part of Latin America continues to march away from the "Washington consensus" of democracy and free-market capitalism that has governed the region for a generation. The latest step came last week in Ecuador, where voters approved a new constitution [this is somehow undemocratic?] that concentrates power in the hands of President Rafael Correa.... The new constitution repeals a limit on presidential terms that had stood since the country returned to democracy in 1979, and it could allow Mr. Correa to stay in office until 2017 [note: Either McCain or Obama will also be allowed to be in office in the U.S., if elected, until 2017]....
The Bush administration has struggled for years with the question of how to respond to these developments. For the most part it has chosen to sidestep Mr. Chávez's provocations, calculating that his regime will eventually self-destruct -- a bet that looks better with each drop in the price of oil....
Boy, that bus trip kicked my ass! It was a beautiful ride, though, at least in the afternoon as we ascended the Andes. One thing about Bolivia I don't think I'll ever grow used to is the varying geography and climate zones. This county has it all.
on issue that he's a strongman with full coffers who actively opposes the U.S., denying the behemoth to the north opportunities to meddle in the south as it once so actively did. I wish people would read their history books and learn about the consequences that this interference has wrought on Central and South America. But some people never learn, and Otto takes one of those to task for his resentment of Chavez's stature at the expense of the little people. Well done, Otto. Well done."I want to publicly tell ... that they cannot authorize the DEA to fly over Bolivian territory," Morales was quoted by state news agency ABI as saying Thursday.
"They are trying to bring new laws, like homosexual marriages, abortion. Trying to say that family is not important and some others," [Dr. Timoteo Sanchez] said. "So we see that this is a terrible time and there is a lot of confusion on our churches."
One reason North American missionaries are feeling threatened is because they've been promoting Christian values in Bolivia for decades.
yesterday. Amazon's got it, and so should you. In it, Richard, well... he walks to Guantánamo Bay, across Cuba (sometimes cheating, though). The book is a meditation on the birds, religion, music, culture of Cuba, written in an alternatingly serious and humorous tone. Richard, unlike some wonks, never takes himself too seriously, yet he also reaches out and touches Cuban culture in a way that makes it immediate and real, sometimes terribly sad. He's no ideologue, and he confronts some of the shortcomings (or maliciousness) of the Castro regime, while also appreciating the unique situation that that small island country--so different than the States, yet so near--is faced with. Any Latin Americanist, birder, religionist, musicologist or simple armchair adventurer will get a kick out of it.Pressure is growing on Foreign Office minister Kim Howells to support the beleaguered Bolivian government of Evo Morales after attacks on it from right-wing forces within the country.
Commercial properties are not the only ones facing problems. On Friday, Standard & Poor’s dropped its rating on the bonds used in Tishman’s $5.4 billion purchase of the Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village apartment complexes in 2006, the biggest real estate deal in modern history. Standard & Poor’s said it cut the rating, in part, because of an estimated 10 percent decline in the properties’ value and the rapid depletion of reserve funds.
