[R-G] Bolivian politics rest heavily on American poicy

[Anthony Fenton]

Bolivian politics rest heavily on American poicy
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By Alex Domingos
Contributing Writer

When Bolivian President Evo Morales appeared on The Daily Show last  
year, John Stewart conducted an interview with the friendly and  
personable leader. Morales ended the interview jokingly asking not to  
be considered a member of the axis of evil. It seems that in some  
sense he now is. It is becoming an all too familiar story and the  
reasons for America’s change of heart towards the Andean nation may  
surprise you.

Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante, or Goni (known to the  
indigenous population as El Gringo), was president for two terms  
prior to Morales. He was educated in the United States and speaks  
English better than he speaks Spanish. In 2000 Bolivian water was  
sold to the American company Bechtel. Prices skyrocketed and cash  
strapped Bolivians took to the streets demanding affordable drinking  
water. In 2003, he put Bolivia’s gas reserves on sale. The people of  
Bolivia (led by Morales and other union leaders) blockaded attempts  
by the government to use Bolivia’s wealth to enrich foreigners. Goni  
sent in the army and around 50 unarmed civilians were killed, 200  
wounded and more were arrested. Tens of thousands of protesters  
flooded the area eventually forcing Goni to resign. He fled to a  
ritzy suburb in Washington, D.C. where he resides today. In 2004, the  
Bolivian congress ordered his arrest under the charge of massacre.  
George Bush refuses to force Goni to return to Bolivia and face  
trial. Ironically, this is the same man that insists governments that  
harbor terrorists are as guilty as the terrorists themselves.

Morales was elected in 2005 in the election with the highest voter  
turnout since the country’s independence from Spain. This election  
was important because it signifies Bolivia’s break with imperialist  
powers and a groundswell of grassroots support. For once, wealthy  
elites weren’t running the country. Instead, a fully indigenous coca  
farmer from the mountains represented the population. Anecdotal  
accounts illustrate the monumental changes that the election made on  
Bolivian politics, starting with the faces of elected officials. The  
country, formerly under the colonial rule of Spain, where the  
majority of the population is poor indigenous campesinos (farmers),  
was run by people of Spanish descent. Policies by Evo’s predecessors,  
such as privatization of national resources, have contributed both to  
the pockets of the wealthy elite and the poverty of the indigenous  
people.

Since he has been in power, Evo has aligned himself with leftist,  
anti-imperialist South American politicians such as Hugo Chavez and  
Rafael Correa. These leaders reject western financial influence due  
to the highly unequal colonial social structure created in their  
countries. Although he is less confrontational and egotistical than  
his Venezuelan counterpart, the United States government has been on  
a campaign to undermine Morales’ government using our taxpayer  
dollars. Five of the richer, more affluent provinces of Bolivia  
fiercely reject the wealth redistribution and agrarian reform methods  
proposed by Morales to the point of threatening secession. According  
to declassified memos through the U.S. Agency for International  
Development (USAID), our government has given 116 grants for  
$4,451,249 to help departmental (read: right wing) governments  
operate “more strategically”. This funding is in violation of  
Bolivian law passed last year requiring all international funding to  
be sent through the Bolivian government.

Foundations that have also been given money by the U.S. hold lectures  
promoting the same neo-liberal policies that almost led Bolivia to a  
civil war in 2003. The National Endowment for Democracy is one such  
foundation which was involved in the failed coup of Hugo Chavez in  
Venezuela. Recently, news broke that at least one U.S. government  
employee has asked at least one Fulbright Scholar and Peace Corps  
volunteers to spy on Venezuelans and Cubans operating in Bolivia.  
Both Venezuela and Cuba provide funding, doctors, and expertise to  
support their socialist ally Morales. A journalist traveled to  
Bolivia in order to give the U.S. government the benefit of the  
doubt. He asked to see some of the apolitical, developmental work  
that is supposed to be the purpose of USAID. After two weeks he was  
referred to a garment factory. The employees revealed that they  
receive hardly any work and meager pay. They refused to give their  
names because, they claim, if they criticize the program they are  
beaten.

South America is perhaps the largest punching bag for American  
imperialism in the world. Yet again, taxpayer dollars are going  
towards the undermining of a democratically elected government.  
Bolivia is a perfect example of the trend that seems to be growing  
across the continent. A country full of profitable national resources  
breaks free of colonial rule, elects leaders that more accurately  
reflect the majority of the population, and refuses to sell national  
resources to foreign companies. These countries have seen swells in  
grassroots efforts and political participation unimaginable in a  
society like ours. We frequently fall on the wrong side of these pro- 
democracy movements and our international reputation has suffered  
from it over the years. Our CIA has been responsible, either  
explicitly or through funding/support, in the overthrow of more than  
50 governments, most of them democratically elected. A large number  
of them have been in South America. If we care so much about  
democracy, then why do we frequently find ourselves infringing on the  
democratic rights of sovereign nations?

Actions such as this do not alleviate the trend towards socialism to  
the south of us. As time goes on it becomes more and more obvious  
that we are not fighting a noble fight. Our taxpayer dollars are in  
use to allow the largest corporations in the world get richer at the  
expense of indigenous populations. Bolivia is the perfect example of  
what happens when the rich get too rich, and the poor get too poor.

Copyright: The Retriever Weekly

Alex Domingos can be contacted by using our contact form and  
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