Re: [Marxism] Bolivia: Morales is Checked

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(A small roundup of PL dispatches on Bolivia and 
related matters in light of the Colombian attack
on Ecuador, the Rio summit and all of the recent
related developemtns. That's why we shouldn't 
look at Bolivia in isolation from the broader
processes which are unfolding.)
================================================

Bolivia Politics Shrouded in Doubt

La Paz, Mar 8 (Prensa Latina) Political uncertainty is again present
in Bolivia after the decision of National Electoral Court CNE to
postpone three crucial referendums, alleging lack of time and
conditions.

The measure happened one week after the promulgation of laws of
convocation of a referendum for May 4, which would apparently ease
current tensions.

However, CNE and their nine regional subsidiaries suspended the vote
on national autonomy of Santa Cruz, and national situations to solve
the extension of large states and to authenticate the new Political
Constitution of the State.

"We would like to make all referendums viable, but technical,
operative, legal and political guarantees aren  t enough to carry
out these processes in the announced period of time," CNE President
Jose Luis Exeni explained.

According to Exeni, these resolutions seek to preserve democratic
stability, which is threatened by the inflexibility of the defenders
of these projects.

In addition, officials specified that prefects lack power to summon
departmental referendums on their autonomic statutes.

"Therefore, we revoked the resolutions of Santa Cruz Departmental
Court, which decided to administer this process", said Exeni, who
called for national reflection to avoid violence.


Cuba, Bolivia Complement Economies

Havana, Mar 8 (Prensa Latina) Cuba and Bolivia signed a negotiations
protocol to enlarge and deepen the Accord for Economic
Complementation between the two countries.

Also on the list was the meeting's document for the Managerial
Commission of the agreement.

Bolivian Deputy Economic Relations and Foreign Trade Minister Pablo
Guzman Laugier and Cuban Deputy Foreign Trade Minister Pedro Luis
Padron inked the accords Friday.

The Bolivian representative said his country hopes to expand trade
with the island as part of the framework of the Bolivarian
Alternative for the Peoples of the Americas (ALBA), to eliminate
taxes and non-tariff measures in their bilateral exchanges.

Objects of negotiations were access to markets and trade regulations,
both very important for developing links.

The aim of the South American country, Laugier said, is to export
products with greater added value, generate employment and develop
internal markets.

Cuba is interested in helping in the Bolivian industrialization
process, the island's deputy minister said, mentioning as an example
the medical collaboration in that nation.

hr/iff/jpp/mf

Fidel Castro Stresses Rio Summit Results

Havana, Mar 8 (Prensa Latina) Fidel Castro stated that in the recent
concluded Rio Group Summit for now peace has been sealed, as has the
awareness that we can avert wars between peoples united by solid
bonds of brotherhood.

This statement is included in his Saturday article entitled "The One
And Only Loser."

Prensa Latina issues below the full text of Fidel Castro's
reflection.

REFLECTIONS BY COMRADE FIDEL

THE ONE AND ONLY LOSER

The knock-out took place in the capital of the Dominican Republic. 
We followed every second of the match on Telesur. Nearly all of the
Latin American presidents from the Rio Group were there. Ecuadorian
President Correa had announced it the day before. I underscored the
importance of this meeting in one of my reflections. It did not take
place within the OAS. Most importantly, US diplomats were not in
attendance. In one way or another, despite the profound ideological
and tactical differences, everyone shone and showed the virtues that
earned them important positions in office.

In today's crisis, these positions acquire a stark significance. 
The undeniable fact is that, on the brink of armed conflicts between
sister nations stemming from Yankee intrigues, for now peace has been
sealed, as has the awareness that we can avert wars between peoples
united by solid bonds of brotherhood.

While this was taking place in Santo Domingo, Bush was at a meeting
in Washington to discuss the transition in Cuba.

Though much still lies ahead, as the meeting on Globalization and
Development Problems held in Havana has shown, ultimately,
imperialism proved the one and only loser.

Fidel Castro Ruz

March 7, 2008

Rio Group Raps Colombia-Ecuador Hit

Santo Domingo, Mar 8 (Prensa Latina) The 20th Summit of Grupo de Rio
rejected the armed attack last Saturday against the sovereignty of
Ecuador and urged those involved to maintain open and respectful
channels of communication.

In a special 11 point declaration, the signatories for
tension-reducing formulas between both parts express concern over the
armed Colombian attack and rejected the violation of territorial
integrity of the Andean country.

The document reaffirms the principle of inviolability of the
territories of the States that can neither be target of military
occupation nor of other measures of force taken by another State,
directly or indirectly, or in a temporary way.

The existence of the document was reeased at the beginning of the
meeting of Foreign Ministers on Thursday, but its content remained in
complete secret.

Once both parts conciliate during the meeting of Head of States, the
document will remain as a declaration of principles and guarantor of
the claims by President Alvaro Uribe that the sutuation won't be
repeated.

At the end, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega requested to include a
paragraph in the document in which the decision of his country to
retract itself from the breaking-off of diplomatic relations with
Bogota.

Managua and Bogota face a conflict of territorial sovereignty over
Providencia, San Andres and Catalina islands in the Caribbean Sea, in
which Uribe says he will abide to the decison of The Hague
International Court of Justice.

hr/gdb/msl/mf

Venezuela Presents Proof of Life

Caracas, Mar 8 (Prensa Latina) The Venezuelan minister of Foreign
Affairs and Justice, Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, presented proof Friday
that 10 soldiers detained by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces
(FARC) are alive.

Rodriguez Chacin showed two videos of the detainees taped in December
of 2007 and another during early 2008 as more proof that the
insurgent group is moving towards a humanitarian agreement with the
Colombian president.

He emphasized the importance of the gesture as paving the way towards
peace in the neighboring country and stated that the government of
President Hugo Chavez continues ready to help in the liberation of
more persons in FARC hands.

He added that like families of the soldiers chosen to give proof of
life, those of the guerrilla fighters jailed by Colombian authorities
should also be hopeful.

hr/iep/avp/mf




=========================================
     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================

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