[R-G] Canadian Labour Congress statement on Bolivia

[Ivan D. Drury]

Original .pdf text: 
http://grupoapoyo.org/basn/files/Bolivia-SEPT-15-08.pdf

Honourable David Emerson
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa ON
K1A 0A6

Dear Minister;

On behalf of the more than 3.2 million working women and men represented by the
Canadian Labour Congress, I write today to share our deep concern regarding the
current attack on democracy in Bolivia and other areas of Latin America.

Minister Emerson, we strongly encourage you to make clear to the international
community that Canada, like other nations in the Americas will not recognize
any authority in Bolivia other than the democratically-elected government of
President Evo Morales and will not tolerate outside interference supporting
secessionist factions in that beleaguered country. President Morales was
democratically elected in 2005 and the Bolivian people again endorsed his
leadership in a recent "recall referendum" which he won by a large
majority of 67%.

As I am sure you are aware, right-wing opposition groups have been conspiring
to secede from Boliviafor months using violence and racist attacks to
intimidate and terrorize the government and the majority of Bolivians that
support it in an attempt to incite civil war or a coup d'etat. The strategy is
clearly articulated by opposition leader Oscar Urenda: "We will not be
beaten, if we are talking about confrontations let's talk about confrontations,
if we are going to talk about war, let there be war, but they will not impose
anything on us. We are sufficiently strong to split off from the country, and
if I have to take a stick, a sling, a gun, I will do it..."

Last week at least eight people were killed and dozens injured in violent
protests carried out by right-wing youth groups and shock troops in conjunction
with departmental governors and other opposition leaders. These gangs carried
out a series of shootings, beatings, and ransacking of offices of the
government, human rights and indigenous organizations. Natural gas exports to
neighbouring Braziland Argentinawere temporarily cut off in order to sabotage the
economy. The loss of human life was most costly in Panda where paramilitary
gangs armed with machine guns massacred more than 60 campesinos leaving more
than 100 unaccounted fro (disappeared). The victims were pursued, tortured, and
murdered before the government declared a state of siege to end the rampage.
These horrendous actions have elicited a huge response of outrage from civil
society, social movements, the media and many governments from the hemisphere.

Recent events suggest there is evidence for President Morales' assertion that
the U.S. Embassy is supporting these violent, autonomy-seeking groups and
"conspiring against democracy". As I am sure you know, President
Morales has declared the USAmbassador Phillip Goldberg persona non-grata and
requested his removal from the country after documenting months of Goldberg's
meetings, exchanges, contacts and involvement with secessionist leaders.
Washington's refusal to provide information about which groups it is funding
through its AID program only adds to the suspicion and lack of trust between
the two governments and gives the impression that the U.S. is contributing to
efforts to destabilize and overthrow the Bolivian government. 

These events in Boliviaare reminiscent of the US-supported overthrow of
democratically elected Chilean president Salvador Allende in Chilewho also believed he could peacefully transform the
formal democratic state he inherited. Events in Bolivia and rumors of coup
d'etat being planned in Venezuela and against the fledgling government of
Fernando Lugo in Paraguay is leading many to feel that Latin America now faces
its most serious crisis since the re-introduction of democratic practice at the
end of the last century.

Minister Emerson, Canadamust support the Bolivian people's right to be
governed by a democratically-elected government. Canadamust offer support to the government of President
Morales, directly and through the Organization of American States to promote a
dialogue and keep open legal and democratic channels for resolving differences
and conflict. We cannot allow our hemisphere to succumb to past practices of
military intervention and return to the dark days when the Pinochets' of this
world were in power.

Many governments in the hemisphere have made their views known on crisis. The
current federal election should not stop Canadafrom expressing its views at the critical moment in
our hemisphere. I look forward to seeing clear and concrete measures taken by Canadato help resolve this crisis of democracy in Boliviaand to prevent its escalation both inside Boliviaand to other countries in the region. 

Sincerely,

Kenneth V. Georgetti
(President - Canadian Labour Congress)

cc.     Officers and Assistants
          Executive Committee
          Embassy of Bolivia in Ottawa



________________________________
Now with a new friend-happy design! Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger


      __________________________________________________________________
Connect with friends from any web browser - no download required. Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger for the Web BETA at http://ca.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php