[Marxism] NarcoNews: Bolvian pres. calls for constitutional assembly, regional autonomy

[<ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

June 3, 2005 Please Distribute Widely

Dear Colleague,

The latest twist in the heart of the Andres came from Carlos Mesa. With 
Congress unable to reach an agreement, the Bolivian president released Supreme 
Decree 28195 at 11pm (Thursday), convoking a new constitutional assembly and a 
binding national referendum on regional autonomy on the same day! So, October 
16, Bolivians will have to go to the polls to, on one hand, elect their 
representatives in the assembly, and on the other to respond to the issue of 
autonomy for the departments.

Again there is chaos, and although things seem to be getting resolved, 
everything is actually getting more complex with every hour....

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/6/3/5283/99810

11:01 pm. Carlos Mesa steps up to the wooden podium with a decree in hand. In a 
little more than 20 minutes, the Bolivian president explains that the country 
cannot wait until Tuesday for the Congress to reconvene and discuss the 
constitutional assembly and regional autonomy... and announces that the decree, 
with two articles, is his "solution" for the moment to the emergency we have 
been living for some time.

Anxious to preserve the unity of the country and, in his own style, assume his 
"historic responsibility," Mesa announced without hesitation the two events 
that seem to divide the regions and classes irreconcilably... but, based on the 
initial reactions we've seen, he hasn't achieved much.

Several figures who represent the Santa Cruz right wing have rejected the 
decree, claiming that Mesa is irresponsible and would lead the country into 
chaos, that his decree is unconstitutional and completely invalid... Rub?n 
Cu?llar, member of the Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee, the neo-fascist group 
that organized the famous autonomy council in January, said that they had not 
ruled out filing legal charges of unconstitutionality in the coming days.

On the other side, Evo Morales did not accept the decree's legality either, but 
he left the last word to the social movements...

Of course, Carlos Mesa mentioned the issue of hydrocarbon nationalization (the 
main demand in the streets of La Paz, as you now know)... and asked for 
patience from the people, because, according to him, the "ideal scenario" fro 
deciding such things would be the contitutional assembly. Evo responded that 
that Mesa is just avoiding his responsibility to the people... and the mayor of 
the Aymara highland capital of Achacachi, Eugenio Rojas, has just told us that 
the blockades will continue, that the rural Aymara will return to La Paz on 
Monday and that though we will see whether or not the constitutional assembly 
achieves anything, first they will fight to return all the natural resources to 
the hands of their true owners...

I'll tell you, kind readers, nothing has ended tonight... although the 
traditional politicians (led by Mesa) are gaining a bit of time, this is all 
really just beginning. See you tomorrow.

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/

>From somewhere in a country called Am?rica,

Luis A. G?mez Acting Publisher The Narco News Bulletin http://www.narconews.com 
Email: luisgomez@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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