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led IN DEFENCE OF MARXISM tendency joins others on the perfectionistic
left in blaming the Bolivian President, Evo Morales, blaming him  and
his political party for the rising right-wing threat to the elected=20
Bolivian government today.

As such tendencies usually do, they draw a certain narrative of the=20
local situation, then plug in their ritualistic demands for immediate=20
nationalization of industry and the abolition of capitalism right now.

The Morales-led Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party represents the=20
first-ever indiginous administration to win power in Latin America.
It confronts literally centuries of the oppression of working and=20
indiginous peoples by the white-skinned capitalist rulers. They led
Bolivia to the impasse it is in today. Widespread illiteracy and the=20
lack of health care for its population don't factor into the Woods=20
tendency's considerations. Such factors aren't even MENTIONED in the=20
broadside against Morales and the government which he heads up. Such=20
institutional steps as ALBA, through which a growing number of Latin
American countries are trying to create an alternative to the world
market system dominated by Washington are not mentioned whatsoever.

Of course, they make the same arguments for Nepal as they do for all
other countries and struggles on earth. Nothing is possible anywhere
on earth unless the program of IN DEFENCE OF MARXISM is carried out.

They do not say so in so many words, but that is the political line
which they are carrying out. They've done just what Malcolm X said=20
the bourgeois press does, but with a leftoid twist: turning the victim=20
into the criminal. Their materials are always detailed and often are
compelling to read, but they lack a specific focus on the history of
the particular country, and invariably find the fault in the leaders
who'd done what they could to bring the country forward.=20

By the way, IN DEFENCE OF MARXISM has carried out a campaign against
Evo Morales and MAS for years, long before the election of Morales=20
and the MAS administration were elected to office in Bolivia where
you can see their coverage going back to the year 200 on Bolivia:
http://www.marxist.com/bolivia/=20


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California
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Ongoing Process of Changes Irreversible: Bolivian Foreign Minister

HAVANA, Cuba, April 29 (acn) Bolivia=E2=80=99s Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Cults, David Choquehuanca Cespedes, said on Monday that the
ongoing process of changes and transformations in his country is
irreversible.

=E2=80=9CWe, Bolivians, decided to get back our sovereignty, our identity a=
nd
our natural resources in order to implement an equitable
re-distribution of the wealth with social justice,=E2=80=9D Choquehuanca sa=
id
during a press conference at the venue of the Cuban Foreign Ministry
in Havana.

He added that these measures, in favor of the interests of Bolivia
and the majority of its people, affect several oligarchic families
who own nearly 100,000 land hectares.

The Bolivian top diplomat noted that this minority does not agree
with the transformations, which is why they have decided to look for
the autonomous status for regions such as the rich department of
Santa Cruz, although this has no legal support and it violates the
new political Constitution of Bolivia.

Choquehuanca stressed that his government will not accept these
autonomous status as they harm the unity of the nation.

In this regard, he added that Bolivian social movements have
announced marches against these secessionist attempts in their
respective departments.

Finally, the Foreign Minister said that Bolivia highly regards its
relations with Cuba, which he described as an example of solidarity
and social justice.

=E2=80=9CMy presence here strengthens the struggle of my people in this
process of changes,=E2=80=9D he concluded.
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Bolivia: the oligarchy prepares a major challenge on May 4th  =09 =20
By Jorge Martin  =20
Monday, 28 April 2008

<http://www.marxist.com/bolivia-oligarchy-prepares-major-challenge-may-4th.=
htm>

What policies did the MAS government implement? If one thing has
characterised the Morales government over the last two years it has
been vacillation. Every step forward taken in the right direction
(nationalisation of gas, raising the minimum wage, providing school
children with free milk, raising the pensions) was met with fierce
opposition from the capitalist class and imperialism. Faced with such
opposition the government retreated half a step, called for
negotiations and generally conciliated. This only encouraged the
oligarchy to step up its campaign, created confusion amongst the
supporters of the MAS (the masses of workers and poor peasants from
the indigenous majority) and demobilised them. The oligarchy was able
to seize the initiative and even win a base of support amongst the
masses in the Eastern Crescent.

Even when the MAS leadership attempted to use the mass movement
against the right wing, it did so in an indecisive way, avoided a
serious confrontation and stayed firmly within the narrow limits of
bourgeois legality (at a time when the oligarchy was happy to break
their own laws in order to defend their land, interest and profits).
This was the case for instance one year ago in Cochabamba. When the
prefect of Cochabamba (the area where the MAS was born and had
massive support in the 2005 elections) came out in favour of
autonomy, the MAS leaders called for massive mobilisations of
protest. The prefect used the police against the demonstrators and
that was the spark that lit the fire. The enraged masses gathered in
a massive cabildo abierto in the main town square voted to expel the
prefect from the department and to give themselves a new government.
What was the response of vice-president Garc=C3=ADa Linera? He argued that
the prefect should be respected because he had been legitimately and
democratically elected and that the people should go back to their
homes. Such a policy could only have two effects: to disorient and
demobilise the workers and peasants and to further encourage the
oligarchy.
--------------------
One lesson must be learnt above all: the last two years of the MAS
government prove in a conclusive manner that no middle way is
possible, no "Andean capitalism" can be built. Even the timid
measures of the Morales government have led directly to this
rebellion of the slaveholders. The only way forward is the
expropriation of the land, banks and industry under the democratic
control of the working people of Bolivia, linking up with the
revolutionary movements taking place throughout Latin America.
















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     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un Para=C3=ADso bajo el bloqueo"
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