[Marxism] Morales: Cultural and democratic revolution: Not one step backwards!

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

BOLIVIA: Cultural and democratic revolution: Not one step backwards!

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/671/671p15e.htm

On May 3, Bolivian President Evo Morales issued the following statement
in response to a declaration by Bolivia's key business federations
attacking his government's policies.

Yesterday, Bolivians were able to read in the newspapers a declaration
signed by the heads of the private business owners' confederation of
seven regions of Bolivia. It is evident that we have in front of us a
political manifesto that assumes as its own the discourse of the
[right-wing] Podemos party, and makes a clear defence of an economic
model that is archaic, anti-national and was defeated by the Bolivian
people.

1. The declaration refers to the current process of change as an
"ideological adventure", as the signatory organisations hypocritically
raise a false nationalism in order to oppose the nationalisation of the
economy and of the Bolivian state being carried out by our government.

2. The declaration forgets that the economic policies of this government
- which in four months has done more in favour of Bolivians than the 20
years of neoliberalism - were supported with 54% of the votes; a result
never before achieved by any democratic government in Bolivia. And,
since that date, the popular government of MAS [the Movement Towards
Socialism] has not parted one iota from its electoral program that it
proposed to Bolivians. That is why today, according to the polls, more
than 80% of Bolivians from the countryside and the cities express their
approval of our term.

3. It is an attempt to confuse the people, saying that we do not have an
economic program. But in these four months we have been working on the
reconstruction of a strong and dynamic public sector, on the
construction of basic infrastructure oriented towards regional, social,
and economic development, on the industrialisation of our natural
resources and on the promotion of indigenous and communitarian
economies. That will also benefit the patriotic and honest business
owners, removed from those bought-off and anti-national business elites.


4. Why did these bosses' organisations not speak out when Bolivia was
leading all of the international records for corruption, when the state
was a booty at the service of the most "clever", when business success
did not depend on enterprising will and productive capacity, but rather
on friendships with the key figures of political power? Why is it that
today 72% of employment is created by micro and small businesses and not
by the leaders of these organisations that are refusing to accept that
the festival for the business owners who feed off the public treasury,
protected by political godfathers, has finished?

5. In their story about defending institutionalism and democracy, these
business heads defend the institutions captured by transnational
interests and military figures that handed over strategic armament to a
foreign power. Those who vouch for those who handed over the Bolivian
anti-aircraft missiles [former president Eduardo Rodriguez did under the
direction of the US so prior to Morales taking power] and disarmed our
armed forces are traitors to the homeland. That is why they also defend
foreign businesses that pretend to "invest" in the country, violating
the laws and the political constitution of the state. For that same
reason they reject the nationalisation of hydrocarbons, which scores of
poor Bolivians died for.

6. It is said that Bolivia has become dependent on Cuba and Venezuela.
When did these business organisations raise their voices against
imperial ambassadors that acted as viceroys, undermining our sovereignty
and trampling on the dignity of the Bolivians? Today there is no
subordination, but rather trade and cooperation agreements within the
framework of national independence, without conditions as occurred
before, and which benefit the popular majorities who have been
traditionally discriminated against and excluded.

7. It is also mentioned that Bolivian soldiers sing the anthems of other
countries, which is part of the protocol when dignitaries of friendly
nations visit. When did these same organisations protest about the
complete subordination of our soldiers to the mandates of those in
uniforms of a foreign power? When did they raise their voice to oppose
the entry of soldiers in order to massacre and humiliate indigenous
peoples and peasants in the name of the fight against drug trafficking,
terrorism and 'zero coca'? The difference is that today, the external
cooperation is to save lives and not for the mistreatment of our fellow
patriots.

8. They say that Bolivia is isolated. But more than isolated, today the
international community - for the first time in our history - looks at
Bolivia as a country that demands respect, that has left behind being a
no-man's land in order to belong to all Bolivians who work, produce and
are capable of participating in this process of rebirth of our homeland.


9. Our government works and will continue to work with patriotic,
dignified and honest business owners who are committed to Bolivia.

10. The memories of the past that Bolivians decided to leave behind on
December 18 [the day Morales was elected president] are too fresh for us
to forget so easily the difference between those who defend the nation
and those who have sold it off with impunity.

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