May 06 2008
Breaking Away Bolivia
Santa Cruz has 1.5 million people, the largest city in Bolivia. It also has the most money in Bolivia, 30% of the country’s GDP. Where does that money come from? -Natural resources;natural gas.
When Evo was elected president, he had promised to do something about the plundering and exploitation of natural resources by international corportations, which had long taken the resources and made little to no investment in Bolivia to improve quality of life. His strategy has been to push for the nationalization of these resources, which - although popular amongst many social movements - has triggered a very strong and angry reaction from the upper class and business leaders who did manage to benefit in the old system.
Now Santa Cruz has held a referendum, and whether it is legitimate or not, the results show strong signs that the province wants full autonomy. This means the wealth it produces will be kept from the central government, kept from the rest of Bolivia to help pay for the running of the country.
It is a typical conflict of the last 50 years, whether you’re in Bolivia, Central Africa, or right here on the continent of Europe. The have’s want nothing to do with the have not’s, and they will go to great lengths to keep from losing anything to them.
Among the historical comparisons that come to mind, I think of the province of Katanga in Congo, which broke away from Congo at a most critical moment in the nation’s founding. Shored up by Belgian mining companies and the Belgian military, the government of the province would later get custody of legendary political leader and prime minister Patrice Lumumba, who they would torture, murder, and then see to it that each piece of his body would be chopped up and disolved in sulfuric acid, to ensure that no one could ever identify his body.
No comparison, different situation, certainly. But it reminds me of how far these kinds struggles for control of wealth can and do go.
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I agree with your description of the situation in Bolivia with one addition–the obvious part the USA government plays in divisive attempts to “Balkanize” Bolivia.
The US ambassador to Bolivia was previously posted to Yugoslavia, and no doubt due to his ’success’ in destroying Yugoslavia, he was appointed to do the same in Bolivia.
Not mentioning the US role in this sedition allows it to continue undiscussed and unchecked, a role the US government has played throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean since the early 1900s, both overtly through military dominance, or covertly through the CIA, State Department and the many supposedly free from US government controlled NGOs.
If freedom is the goal, US overt and covert operations must be stopped, not only in the Americas, but around the world, and despite serious doubts to the contrary that either the Dems or Reps will stop this ongoing travesty, of the current US presidential candidates, only Barack Obama offers that hope.
Bolivia for ALL Bolivians–viva a united Bolivia!
Never ceases to amaze me how if people in country x vote against the perceived proper political left course of action the US MUST be covertly involved and pulling all the strings.
From what I understand the racisms is fierce in Bolivia (Spanish decent/ indigenous) and a huge motivator for the autonomy vote.
While I was a hopeful of Morals initially he fell in the death trap of mid-20th century Cuban soviet style government – NATIONALIZE!!! Another big yawn, plus he only won with 53% of the vote not like it was a huge margin. He sent the Army and seized 90% of the gas industry. Later Morals tried to change the Constitution from 2/3 to only 50% needed for Constitutional amendments. Acts that aren’t very conciliatory but aimed at provoking conflict.
The fact that the rich answered with only a political vote to secede speaks to restraint and an evolving standard of political decency in South America
And while I’m a big Obama supporter, contributor and volunteer…why would you think that he would abandon the United States economic, diplomatic or military interests? It might look different, there might not be aircraft carrier landings in flight suits, and no shock and awe, and no preemptive war, he will protect and advance American interests (even the ones you don’t like)