Home | Friday 19th September 2008 | Issue 647
EVO STICK
In the last few days right-wing forces have cut Bolivia in half. Angry that ex coca-farming President Evo Morales and his "Movement Towards Socialism" has been, well, moving towards socialism, white separatists have cut gas pipelines and set up road-blocks partitioning the country - with the poor, populous and mostly indigenous half separated from the resource-rich, white 'Media Luna.'
Last Thursday (Sept 11th) over 30 pro-Morales peasants were murdered by fascist thugs in Pando on the orders of local governor Leopoldo Fernández. A thousand demonstrators were protesting the governor's armed takeover of the town of Cobija, and its airport, when they were ambushed by a paramilitary death squads.
Morales has called the events a 'civil coup' and likened it to the Chilean 9-11 (see SchNEWS 646). Bolivia has kicked out the US ambassador, Philip Goldberg (recently returned from newly partitioned Kosovo) for his involvement in the plans to kick out Evo. Venezuela has followed suit, and an emergency meeting called by South American leaders has shown its independence from the northern great Satan by giving full support to Bolivia's government.
In the words of a certain Sñr Chavez: "The US is behind the plan against Bolivia, behind the terrorism.We're committed to being free. Enough crap from you Yankees.''
But it's tough on the ground, where the main right-wing opposition to Morales is working in tandem with the semi-legal 'Santa Cruz Youth Union' (Unión Juvenil Cruceñista). The blackshirt Cruceñist have been acting as if they're the law (and above the law) in the areas that have declared 'autonomy'. Markets, government buildings and human rights organisations mes have been targeted in brutal attacks, whilst Morales, acting with restraint, has held back from putting the boot into the fascists.
The real complaint that the majority of Bolivians have with Morales and the MAS is that their reforms aren't happening quickly enough, but despite this he remains massively popular, polling over two thirds of the electorate in the last election. It remains to be seen how the patient and conciliatory approach of the Morales government pans out, but there's always a chance that events will spiral out of the government's control if the people are pushed too far.
See www.boliviasc.org.uk
Last Thursday (Sept 11th) over 30 pro-Morales peasants were murdered by fascist thugs in Pando on the orders of local governor Leopoldo Fernández. A thousand demonstrators were protesting the governor's armed takeover of the town of Cobija, and its airport, when they were ambushed by a paramilitary death squads.
Morales has called the events a 'civil coup' and likened it to the Chilean 9-11 (see SchNEWS 646). Bolivia has kicked out the US ambassador, Philip Goldberg (recently returned from newly partitioned Kosovo) for his involvement in the plans to kick out Evo. Venezuela has followed suit, and an emergency meeting called by South American leaders has shown its independence from the northern great Satan by giving full support to Bolivia's government.
In the words of a certain Sñr Chavez: "The US is behind the plan against Bolivia, behind the terrorism.We're committed to being free. Enough crap from you Yankees.''
But it's tough on the ground, where the main right-wing opposition to Morales is working in tandem with the semi-legal 'Santa Cruz Youth Union' (Unión Juvenil Cruceñista). The blackshirt Cruceñist have been acting as if they're the law (and above the law) in the areas that have declared 'autonomy'. Markets, government buildings and human rights organisations mes have been targeted in brutal attacks, whilst Morales, acting with restraint, has held back from putting the boot into the fascists.
The real complaint that the majority of Bolivians have with Morales and the MAS is that their reforms aren't happening quickly enough, but despite this he remains massively popular, polling over two thirds of the electorate in the last election. It remains to be seen how the patient and conciliatory approach of the Morales government pans out, but there's always a chance that events will spiral out of the government's control if the people are pushed too far.
See www.boliviasc.org.uk
