President visits Bolivian Indian stronghold

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Peter S. Lopez de Sacra" <humaneliberation@xxxxxxxxx>

Subject: [Peoples War] New Bolivia Leader Calls for End to Violence =
10/18/03 Filed at 5:40 p.m. ET

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-bolivia.htm
l

New Bolivia Leader Calls for End to Violence
By REUTERS
Published: October 18, 2003
Filed at 5:40 p.m. ET

EL ALTO, Bolivia (Reuters) - Bolivia's new president
called on Saturday for an end to violence that has
killed scores of people during a visit to the
heartland of a popular revolt that toppled his
predecessor the day before.

``Never again should we lose a life through battles
with the government,'' President Carlos Mesa told a
cheering crowd of about 1,000 people, including old
women in traditional bowler hats and young men waving
the multicolored Inca flag.

The poor town of 400,000 overlooking the capital La
Paz was the focus of Indian-led protests against
government free-market policies that opponents say
give the natural resources of South America's poorest
nation to foreigners.

Streets in the town, 13,200 feet above sea level, were
barricaded until demonstrations ended on Friday when
Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada quit in response to protests
that had cut the capital off from food and fuel
supplies.

Mesa, a respected journalist and political
independent, is seen untainted by the image of the
unpopular former president, a free marketeer and U.S.
ally in the anti-drug war.

Despite being Sanchez de Lozada's deputy and coming
from the traditional European-descended elite, many
people -- including from the poor Indian majority --
were prepared to wait and see how Mesa performs in the
top job.

Evo Morales, an Indian leader who came second last
year in presidential elections and who symbolizes the
Indians' organizational strength, said, ``I ask for
calm ... until the government gets organized and meets
the demands of society.''

Still, after 74 people died in political violence over
the last month, Mesa faces huge problems. The economy
is in a downturn, and he has little electoral
legitimacy and no formal political party support.

Sanchez de Lozada was the fourth South American
president to have been forced out of office by popular
protests since 2000, joining Ecuador, Argentina and
Peru amid growing discontent with democracies that are
seen as corrupt or inept.

LIFE BACK TO NORMAL

In La Paz, for the first time in a week, buses ran,
airplanes took off and people shopped for groceries as
Indians lifted their siege of the city.

``I nearly got run over today. I forgot what it was
like to have traffic on the roads,'' said Felipe
Huaman, a mechanic who returned to his shop in the
city center after a week.

Many of the tens of thousands of Indian workers and
farmers, returned to their villages in packed open
trucks. They were cheered by hundreds of onlookers who
massed along narrow access roads to the city.

Following the constitution, Congress designated Mesa
on Friday to serve out Sanchez de Lozada's term, due
to end in 2007. But the new leader immediately
proposed early elections.

Mesa promised to deal with Indian grievances,
including holding a referendum on plans to export
natural gas to the United States. Indian groups say
the project will only benefit neighboring Chile, the
United States and foreign investors.

He has made no mention of what he would do with
Sanchez de Lozada's U.S.-backed drive to wipe out
crops of the staple coca leaf -- the raw material for
cocaine. Peasant farmers blamed the policy for
deepening their poverty.

Mesa will have to negotiate with Indian groups who
have shown they can stop the economy. Many of
Bolivia's 8 million citizens live on less than $5 a
week and the life expectancy in some areas of the
Andean country is under 45 years.

Mesa requested Congress shorten his mandate and call
early elections -- effectively asking to be a
caretaker leader. He also said his Cabinet would be
made up of independents like himself and include no
party members.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++





=====
UNITY IN THE FAMILY of HUMANITY!!!
Brother Peter S. Lopez {aka: Peta de Sacra}
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-bolivia.htm
l

New Bolivia Leader Calls for End to Violence
By REUTERS
Published: October 18, 2003
Filed at 5:40 p.m. ET

EL ALTO, Bolivia (Reuters) - Bolivia's new president
called on Saturday for an end to violence that has
killed scores of people during a visit to the
heartland of a popular revolt that toppled his
predecessor the day before.

``Never again should we lose a life through battles
with the government,'' President Carlos Mesa told a
cheering crowd of about 1,000 people, including old
women in traditional bowler hats and young men waving
the multicolored Inca flag.

The poor town of 400,000 overlooking the capital La
Paz was the focus of Indian-led protests against
government free-market policies that opponents say
give the natural resources of South America's poorest
nation to foreigners.

Streets in the town, 13,200 feet above sea level, were
barricaded until demonstrations ended on Friday when
Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada quit in response to protests
that had cut the capital off from food and fuel
supplies.

Mesa, a respected journalist and political
independent, is seen untainted by the image of the
unpopular former president, a free marketeer and U.S.
ally in the anti-drug war.

Despite being Sanchez de Lozada's deputy and coming
from the traditional European-descended elite, many
people -- including from the poor Indian majority --
were prepared to wait and see how Mesa performs in the
top job.

Evo Morales, an Indian leader who came second last
year in presidential elections and who symbolizes the
Indians' organizational strength, said, ``I ask for
calm ... until the government gets organized and meets
the demands of society.''

Still, after 74 people died in political violence over
the last month, Mesa faces huge problems. The economy
is in a downturn, and he has little electoral
legitimacy and no formal political party support.

Sanchez de Lozada was the fourth South American
president to have been forced out of office by popular
protests since 2000, joining Ecuador, Argentina and
Peru amid growing discontent with democracies that are
seen as corrupt or inept.

LIFE BACK TO NORMAL

In La Paz, for the first time in a week, buses ran,
airplanes took off and people shopped for groceries as
Indians lifted their siege of the city.

``I nearly got run over today. I forgot what it was
like to have traffic on the roads,'' said Felipe
Huaman, a mechanic who returned to his shop in the
city center after a week.

Many of the tens of thousands of Indian workers and
farmers, returned to their villages in packed open
trucks. They were cheered by hundreds of onlookers who
massed along narrow access roads to the city.

Following the constitution, Congress designated Mesa
on Friday to serve out Sanchez de Lozada's term, due
to end in 2007. But the new leader immediately
proposed early elections.

Mesa promised to deal with Indian grievances,
including holding a referendum on plans to export
natural gas to the United States. Indian groups say
the project will only benefit neighboring Chile, the
United States and foreign investors.

He has made no mention of what he would do with
Sanchez de Lozada's U.S.-backed drive to wipe out
crops of the staple coca leaf -- the raw material for
cocaine. Peasant farmers blamed the policy for
deepening their poverty.

Mesa will have to negotiate with Indian groups who
have shown they can stop the economy. Many of
Bolivia's 8 million citizens live on less than $5 a
week and the life expectancy in some areas of the
Andean country is under 45 years.

Mesa requested Congress shorten his mandate and call
early elections -- effectively asking to be a
caretaker leader. He also said his Cabinet would be
made up of independents like himself and include no
party members.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++









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