Re: [Marxism] Bolivia on the brink

["NÃstor Gorojovsky" <nmgoro@xxxxxxxxx>]

In Bolivia today, most depends on the attitude of the Army. Please
those who canÂt imagine a positive role to L.Am. armies, even you,
please, pray it all ends up well.

2007/12/16, 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 UniÃn Juvenil 
> CruzeÃa
> (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 GarcÃa 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.
>
>
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-- 
NÃstor
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