Re: [Marxism] Bolivia on the brink

[Eli Stephens <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gloria La Riva on Bolivia:
  http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7765

Bolivia moves toward new constitution
Saturday, December 15, 2007
By: Gloria La Riva

Amid threats of coup and secession

By the required two-thirds vote, a new Bolivian Constituent Assembly approved a 
draft constitution on Dec. 9. It passed despite obstacles, including violence, 
by the right-wing, which tried desperately to derail the process.

As the assembly deputies met in Sucre in lat November, fascist thugs attacked 
the participants and set public buildings on fire. Several people were killed, 
and the meeting had to be moved to Oruro in the highlands on Dec. 8. Two days 
later, it was approved.

The draft’s passage is a step forward for the most oppressed of Bolivian 
society, the people of the 36 Indigenous ethnicities, all peasants and the 
workers. It would grant greater rights and autonomy to the Indigenous and lay 
the basis to keep state control of natural resources.

The only article out of 411 not agreed to by the assembly concerns the size 
limit of landholdings, a sign of the growing class conflict between landless 
peasants and extremely wealthy landowners, who are behind the secessionist 
movement.

Before a popular referendum is held on the constitution draft, first the 
article 
on the size of landholdings will be placed before the public to approve or 
reject. If accepted, it would be added to the constitution for a final 
referendum vote.

Bolivia’s tiny minority of racist oligarchs has lorded over the mostly 
Indigenous population for decades. But now, it is fully aware that the majority 
of people back Morales and will likely to approve the constitution. No date has 
been set for the referendum vote. Morales took office in January 2006.

Counting the numbers and seeing the writing on the wall, the oligarchy’s main 
party PODEMOS and its allies are now acting on their threat to break away.

Secession and rumors of coup are the greatest danger to Evo Morales’ 
presidency, 
his Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) and the Bolivian masses.

After the assembly, the prefects (governing officials) in four of Bolivia’s 
five 
opposition-led departments (similar to states) said they would act on their 
declared autonomy on Dec. 15. The prefect of the fifth department, Cochabamba, 
Manfred Reyes Villa, said he would hold a referendum for autonomy. A sixth, 
Chuquisaca, may do the same.

The other four departments led by the "autonomists" are Santa Cruz, Beni, 
Tarija 
and Pando. With 60 percent of Bolivia’s territory and 35 percent of the 
country’s population in the lowland plains, it is the richest region with 
natural resources, fertile land and industrial development. Due to its 
geographical shape, the area is known as the "Media luna (half moon)."

The western part of Bolivia is highlands, encompassing four departments, where 
the Indigenous and poorest of the population live. It is the area where leftist 
president Evo Morales has the most support.

The right-wing prefects have called for widespread acts of disruption 
throughout 
the country on the 15th. Neo-fascist groups, led by the Unión Juvenil Cruzeña 
(from Santa Cruz department), are waging attacks on pro-Morales supporters.

Morales has called for a recall referendum on all the prefects and himself. He 
is calculating that the majority of the masses in the breakaway departments 
will 
oust the right-wing prefects.

Behind the opposition is the hand of the U.S. government. Bolivian Vice 
President Alvaro García accused Washington of funding right-wing groups to 
destabilize the government, partly through USAID, notorious for backing 
counterrevolutionary movements.

The historic violence of the oligarchy and its entrenched rule, have made 
Morales’s attempts at major economic and social change difficult to achieve. 
The 
move to nationalize Bolivia’s large oil and gas reserves has been stymied.

Decisive in the outcome of Bolivia’s struggle will be the organization and 
intervention of the masses, among the poorest in Latin America, to defend the 
justice they have set out to win.


_________________________________________________________________
Share life as it happens with the new Windows Live.
http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_122007
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism