[Marxism] Bolivia: Morales calls for left unity, Mesa returns to neoliberal coalition

[Fred Fuentes <fuentf01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is an article I have roughly translated (apologies in advance my
Spanish is sketch at best and I generally lack the time I really need for a
proper translation). It talks about MAS' attempt to unite back with the
social movements it moved aways from and/or was pushed away from in the
lead up to the July 18 referendum. From the little information I can get it
seems that the COB have not in any way jumped on board such a possibility,
but neither have I seen it ruled out. It is however indicative that after
Morales had called for the Aug 30 rallies, the COB along with others when
for mobilisations on Aug 25. Some say Morales is doing so to secure his
support base in the lead up to the municipal elections, although my reading
is that that is a bit crude, although it is pressure from below pushing him
left, it is not just elections that are figuring in his thoughts. It seems
clearer than ever that the US despite seem initially (or I could be wrong)
to prefer the policy of Mesa attempting to bring MAS on boa, is now
decisively turning away from this option. The article shows that Mesa, and
the US government (which coincidently only two days before threat of not
passing bills was placed in parliament has 2 reps visited the President) is
moving toward the old coalition that supported Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.
It appears another October may be on its way...if the left can unite.
One last note, the article refer to the "reactionary and conservative"
nature of the bus driver strikes. I know the strike has been called off at
least for 15 days with a truce signed that with see neither the year freeze
of gas price they wanted or the 60 days the government wanted but rather
100days, but why are these protests put in the "reactionary and
conservative" box?
La lucha continua
Fred

Bolivia: The return of the social mobilisations
Alex Contreras Baspineiro
Translated from www.inprecor.org.br (initially from ALAI www.alainet.org)

Cochabamba-  The massive mobilizations over the last few days by the social
movements of Bolivia, in defense of gas and hydrocarbons, have received an
immediate response: the  rearticulación of the "megacoalición" of ex-
president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada  which now endorses the government of
Carlos Mesa as well as the  "reappearance" of the North American ambassador
in this country, David Greenlee. On the 25 of August the Coalition for the
Defense and Recuperation of Gas call for mobilizations which received a
positive response in four cities: El Alto, Cochabamba, La Paz and Oruro;
whereas on the 30 of the same month, the Movement to the Socialism (MAS)
demonstrating its  power to mobilize thousands of people in Cochabamba, La
Paz, Santa Cruz,  Potosí, Sucre and Oruro.

The slogan of these popular sectors, as well as others who can be added, is
the same one: the nationalization and industrialization of  hydrocarbons
before it is export to the Mexiacn and US markets.

The member of parliament and head of MAS, Evo Morales Ayma, said: "In
opposition to the arrogance and ridicule of president Mesa who only obeys
the North American embassy  and the transnational companies, the poor of
this country who are the  majority have only one alternative: to unite
again ".

In last days, Oscar Olivera the spokesman of the Coalition for the Defense
and Recuperation of Gas, affirmed that to approve the new Hydrocarbon Law
the government must listen to the social movements  and not only to the
denominated political class; or otherwise, the resort to the actions to
pressure rhe government.

Before the mobilizations the government instructed military and police of
the need to defend strategic points, but kept deadly silence with respect
to the popular demands.

On top of the popular mobilizations, there needs to be added those of more
reactionary and conservative sectors like the bus drivers who  paralyzed
the seat of the government for 48 hours or the civic movements who announce
pressure measures.

Nevertheless, the Chief of State, after threatening to not pass any law if
the parliamentarians did not approve his Law of Execution and Fulfillment
of the Referendum, has invited the ex- governmental coalition of Sanchez de
Lozada to support his  hydrocarbon policy.

The megacoalición of government is composed of the neoliberal parties such
as the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario  (MNR), Izquierda Movement
Revolucionaria (MIR), Unidad Civica Solidaridad (UCS) and  Accion
Democratica Nacionalista (ADN), with the Nueva  Fuerza Republicana (NFR) of
the ex- captain of army Manfred Kings Villa, yet to returned to this
scheme,  although its support to the previous governments  was always
conditional and its possible participation is not discard.

Although the social movements still are  divided - product of the
referendum of July 18 just gone - it is hoped that in the future actions in
the streets, in the plazas and the highways they will unite forces.

The  cheating referendum

According to the official results of Corte Nacional  Electoral (CNE), more
of the 90 percent of the Bolivians who  participated in the binding
referendum voted to approved the recovers the property of all hydrocarbons
in well  mouth for the Bolivian State by the present government  of
president Carlos Mesa.

A similar number of citizens demanded to  repeal the Law 1689 - Hydrocarbon
Law of ex- president Sanchez de Lozada-  annulling the 78 contracts of
shared with the transnational companies.

The  present government has not included these requests in the law of
Execution and Fulfillment of the Referendum, which rather, according to
different economic analysts is a replica of the law of Sanchez de Lozada
(Goni);  nevertheless, the Commission of Economic Development for the House
of  Deputies approved the new law where the recovery of the property of
hydrocarbons for the Bolivian State is set down; this proposal must now be
dealt with in House itself.

The North American ambassador indicated that the  new Hydrocarbon Law must
equally benefit  the country and foreign  investments. "Depends on how the
conversations and the new law appear, now it  is an internal process, I
cannot state my opinion, hopefully it will be of benefit to the Bolivian
people but also encourages the possibility of more investment".

According to Morales, the mobilizations because the government has not
responded to the mandate of the referendum nor accept the will of the
people, but rather it is in the service of the transnational companies  and
the mandate of the North American embassy.

Although the binding referendum was very clear in its responses, the
government has tries to manipulate them.

The first question asked "are you in agreement with the abrogation of the
Hydrocarbon Law 1689 promulgated by Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada?", received a
yes vote of 86,6 percent against the 13,4 percent that inclined towards no.
Yet this law was not repealed and it is only intended to be reformed.

Question 2, "are you in  agreement with the recovery of the property of
hydrocarbons at well mouth for the Bolivian State?" was the one that
received the greatest support with 92.1% voting yes; whilst the no vote
only achieved 7,9 percent. The  government has refuses to recover the
property of the hydrocarbons with the argument that such actions could
generated capital flight out of the country. The third question "are you
in agreement to refound YPFB, recovering the state property and ownership
of the privatised oil  companies, so that can participate in at all levels
in the production of hydrocarbons?" had  87,1% support in favour, with
12,9% inclined towards no. Yet no serious strategy has put forward to
consider how to form the state hydrocarbon company.

Question 4 "are you in agreement with the policy of president Carlos Mesa
to use gas as strategic resource to obtain a useful and sovereign exit to
the Pacific Ocean?" was the most resisted. 57,5% voted yes and 42,5%
percent voted no. The Bolivian president has already met with his Peruvian
counterpart to see if such option is possible; however the popular sectors,
first demands the new law before any exportion of hydrocarbons.

A fifth question "are you in agreement with Bolivia exporting gas within
the framework of a national policy that covers the consumption by
Bolivians, encourages the industrialization  of the gas in the national
territory, receive taxes and/or royalities from the oil  companies reaching
up to 50 percent from the value from the production of  gas and petroleum
to benefit the country, the wealth form the export  and industrialization
of the gas going mainly to education, health, raods and  work?" was also
asked. 64,8 percent marked yes and 35,2%  preferred no. Due to the
complexity of this question, the answers offered up to this moment by the
government to the population are very ambiguous.

According to the  spokesman of the Coalition of the Defence and
Recuperation of Gas, "the fight for the nationalization of  hydrocarbons
has just begun and at the edges of the results of the cheating  referendum,
the Bolivian people will come out on to the streets to be heard".

Justice Against  Goni

Nevertheless, it is not only the central demand of the nationalization of
hydrocarbons that unites the neoliberal parties or mobilizes the popular
sectors but also the order of Judgment of Responsibilities against ex-
president Sanchez de Lozada.

In October of 2003, before Goni was expelled from  the government by the
exemplary force of this town, more than 80 Bolivians were assassinated and
more than 400 they were wounded by bullets.

In this sense, the popular organizations demand that justiuce by applied
and that judgment of those responsible begin, not only applying to the ex-
president but also to several of its ministers who belong to the  MNR, MIR
and NFR, the parties of the ex-  megacoalición.

While impunity for the ex- governors awaits, the  government ordered the
detaining of union leaders of Movimiento Sin Tierra (MST),  like Pinto
Gabriel, accused of participating in the murder of the ex- mayor of the
altiplánica population of Ayo Ayo, whilst the processes continue against
several leaders of the coca producers of the Tropic of Cochabamba
presumably  for involvement in "narco-terrorist" actions.

The popular  organizations are becoming more united around those demands
and others like the rejection to the Andean Free Trade Agreement,
opposition to increases in the price of hydrocarbons and the call for a
popular Constituent Assembly,  whereas the neoliberal parties attempt to
restrain substantial changes in  the Hydrocarbon Law, to not allow any
judgment against Sanchez de  Lozada to suceed and to make sure the popular
demands are not attend to.

Little more than a year after the "war of the gas", an only an uncertain
future can be seen for Bolivia, the country  located in the heart of the
American continent...




_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism