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Post by vgambler33 on Dec 20, 2005 1:07:36 GMT -5
Leftist Appears to Be Winner in Bolivia
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Evo Morales, a former coca farmer who has pledged to torpedo U.S. anti-drug efforts here and be a "nightmare" for Washington, appeared set to become Bolivia's first Indian president after a surprisingly strong showing in Sunday's election.
Media tabulations of official results showed the leftist Morales with as much as 51% of the vote and his nearest rival, U.S.-educated former President Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, with 31% to 34%.
Electoral authorities did not release final, certified results Sunday, but analysts and Morales' opponents acknowledged that he would be the next leader of this polarized Andean nation, where convulsive protests have ousted two presidents since 2003.
Quiroga conceded defeat and congratulated Morales and his Movement to Socialism alliance on their victory. The third-place finisher, Samuel Doria Medina, said Morales had won a "clear mandate."
Most experts had predicted that Morales would not win a majority, in which case Congress would decide the election outcome next month. But with more than 60% of the votes counted, local media reported, Morales was ahead by more than 40 percentage points in heavily populated La Paz province, 30 points in Cochabamba and Oruro provinces and 20 points in Potosi.
Even if the official results showed that Morales fell just short of the 50% needed in the first round, it appeared unlikely that Quiroga would challenge him in Congress.
Morales' supporters celebrated in the streets of this capital and other cities by the thousands, chanting, "Evo, presidente!" Fireworks illuminated La Paz and Cochabamba, the city where Morales, as representative of the growers of coca leaf — the raw ingredient in cocaine — rose to national prominence. Morales has pledged to decriminalize coca cultivation if he attains the presidency.
His career arc, from llama herder to coca farmer to activist and presidential candidate, has captivated many in this nation of 9 million, which is notorious for its lack of social mobility — particularly for Indians, who make up at least half the population.
Many here echo Morales' complaints that U.S.-backed economic and anti-drug policies have done little to enhance prosperity in a nation where an estimated six of every 10 residents live in poverty, with deprivation rife among the indigenous masses.
"This is the new history of Bolivia," Morales declared in an emotional victory speech in Cochabamba. "We, the indigenous people, have been called animals and savages…. That is not important anymore."
The Movement to Socialism alliance has grown from a regional group representing coca farmers to the nation's most important political group in a decade.
Morales promised to reach out to all sectors of Bolivia's people and heal the wounds that have riven the nation in recent years. He said "the truth" of his campaign had vanquished the "dirty war" that had linked him to drug traffickers during the campaign — allegations he repeatedly denied.
He also accused Bolivian electoral authorities of removing many citizens' names from voting registers, leaving thousands unable to participate in the election.
Aides said Morales' campaign had been prepared to make accusations of massive electoral irregularities if its candidate had failed to win.
In recent years, left-wing governments wary of Washington have taken power in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and Morales' rapid ascension is another blow for U.S. policy in South America.
Among the first chief executives to call and offer congratulations, an aide to Morales said, were Venezuela's Hugo Chavez — an ardent U.S. critic — and Argentina's Nestor Kirchner, who has also followed a populist, left-wing political path.
Morales is a devoted fan of Chavez as well as Cuban President Fidel Castro. During last month's Summit of the Americas conference in Argentina, Morales participated in an anti-free-trade protest with Chavez, calling him "Comandante."
There was no immediate word on the election from the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia, which has avoided commenting on the campaign, fearing charges of meddling.
But it was no secret it preferred Quiroga, who backed the coca-eradication policy that U.S. officials say has greatly reduced the flow of Bolivian cocaine to America. Quiroga was also favored among the middle class and well-off professionals who feared that a Morales government could lead to even more instability and chase away foreign investors.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Amanda Rogers-Harper said, "The election is for the Bolivian people and their elected representatives to decide, and we will respect their decision."
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Post by Educate Me on Dec 20, 2005 2:06:39 GMT -5
For the first time since the spanish conquest, Peru and Bolivia are ruled by amerindians.
He will make growing coca legal again, by the way, for those who dont know, coca is just the plant, not cocaine, for milleniums amerindians in Peru, Bolivia, and the north of Argentina and Chile who live at very high altitudes have used to coca to fight hunger (in spanish we call it, engañar el hambre, to deceive hunger) they dont actually east the coca leaf, just masticate it, and the hunger sensation goes away for a while, it also helps for high altitude sickness (apunamiento in spanish), and you can make a kind of tea with it.
His slogan is yes to Coca, but 0 cocaine.
It is an important part of the culture and way of life of the quechuas and aymaras, by the way evo is an aymara.
I think evo may be the only president in the world who experienced seriours hunger in his life.
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Post by anodyne on Dec 20, 2005 2:42:40 GMT -5
He's going to have problems with the middle class and landowners in the Eastern provinces. They want more autonomy and he can't allow that if he's going to centralize the economy.
Also, his nation needs foreign investment but the radicals want to nationalize. I wonder how he's going to pull this off. He can't piss off the radicla left or else he's out but he also needs foreign capital. Who is going to invest in a nation in which contracts are broken whenever it's felt like?
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Post by dukeofpain on Dec 20, 2005 4:31:15 GMT -5
For the first time since the spanish conquest, Peru and Bolivia are ruled by amerindians. He will make growing coca legal again, by the way, for those who dont know, coca is just the plant, not cocaine, for milleniums amerindians in Peru, Bolivia, and the north of Argentina and Chile who live at very high altitudes have used to coca to fight hunger (in spanish we call it, engañar el hambre, to deceive hunger) they dont actually east the coca leaf, just masticate it, and the hunger sensation goes away for a while, it also helps for high altitude sickness (apunamiento in spanish), and you can make a kind of tea with it. His slogan is yes to Coca, but 0 cocaine. It is an important part of the culture and way of life of the quechuas and aymaras, by the way evo is an aymara. I think evo may be the only president in the world who experienced seriours hunger in his life. Making leaves legal is tantamount to making cocaine legal. Once you have the leaves it's only a matter of extracting the cocaine alkaloid, which can be done simply with some caustic soda and kerosene. |
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Post by vgambler33 on Dec 20, 2005 13:30:38 GMT -5
For the first time since the spanish conquest, Peru and Bolivia are ruled by amerindians. He will make growing coca legal again, by the way, for those who dont know, coca is just the plant, not cocaine, for milleniums amerindians in Peru, Bolivia, and the north of Argentina and Chile who live at very high altitudes have used to coca to fight hunger (in spanish we call it, engañar el hambre, to deceive hunger) they dont actually east the coca leaf, just masticate it, and the hunger sensation goes away for a while, it also helps for high altitude sickness (apunamiento in spanish), and you can make a kind of tea with it. His slogan is yes to Coca, but 0 cocaine. It is an important part of the culture and way of life of the quechuas and aymaras, by the way evo is an aymara. I think evo may be the only president in the world who experienced seriours hunger in his life. Thanks for the info. |
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Post by Educate Me on Dec 20, 2005 13:50:01 GMT -5
yes, of course cocaine production will rise, but the cocaine will probably be made in guerilla controlled south-colombia, not Bolivia.
The situation wont really change, the americans were paying bolivia a few million dollars for burning a small % of the coca production of the indians.
the east province, Santa Cruz, and the south province of Tarija, which borders argentina are the wealthy provinces (relatively wealthy), the west is all mountains, altiplano and indians with their llamas.
the Mercosur governments (now venezuela entered the mercosur) are planning a huge gasoduct, from Venezuela to Argentina, going thru the brazilian amazonas and Bolivia which has great gas reserves herself.
Argentina gets 5% of the gas from Bolivia, we wwant to get 20% in the next years, but evo said he was selling us the gas very cheap, we told him that if he increases the price more than 23% it would no longer be good busines for us.
I think evo is more of a Lula than a Chavez, the bolivian gdp is only 8000 millions a year, and if he starts selling us 20% of the gas we need he could get 500 million dollars (which is a lot for bolivia)
he has chaces for improving the country, I wish him good luck.
By the way, in the XIX century Peru and Bolivia were for a few years the same country, Confederacion Peruano Boliviana, Chile attacked them and took a lot of territory, Peru only lost the city of Arica, but Bolivia lost all the coast, it became a landlocked country.
And for bolivia, because of its geography, exporting thru Peru is very difficult, the easiest way is thru chile, but Bolivia still 100 years after that claims that territory, and Bolivia has no relations with Chile.
That is what has damaged Bolivia a lot.
Bolivia before the war had great potential, the province Chile took from Bolivia, became the economic center of Chile afterwards, that northern province has the greatest copper reserves of the world, 20 years ago 70% of all chilean exports were copper, even nowadays after all those years of growth they still make more than 30%.
Bolivia, after the war, landlocked and without the copper, didnt really have a chance to develop.
Pinochet said once that Bolivia after losing that province in the war, had lost its viability as a country, and that Potosi would end up in Chilean Hands, Tarija in Argentine hands, the north in Peruvian hands and only Santa Cruz would remain independent.
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Post by tonynatuzzi on Dec 20, 2005 23:17:02 GMT -5
It would be interesting to know what percentage of the White minority upperclass of Bolivia voted for this Amerindian guy.I used to think Bolivia was even less White than Mexico but according to the CIA worldfact book and Wikipedia, percentage wise Bolivia's White population is slightly higher than that of Mexico's.
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Post by vgambler33 on Dec 20, 2005 23:47:51 GMT -5
It would be interesting to know what percentage of the White minority upperclass of Bolivia voted for this Amerindian guy.I used to think Bolivia was even less White than Mexico but according to the CIA worldfact book and Wikipedia, percentage wise Bolivia's White population is slightly higher than that of Mexico's. Boliva probably has a higher white population than Mexico. But Mexico has alot more light skin mestizos than Bolivia.Boliva is around 65% Amerindian ,Mexico is around 20% Amerindian. Mexico white(pure white) population is around 4% |
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Post by Educate Me on Dec 21, 2005 0:01:40 GMT -5
almost no one, although the vice president of evo is a white guy
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Post by tonynatuzzi on Dec 21, 2005 0:04:12 GMT -5
An Amerindian president would never fly in Argentina ain't that right Educate Me.
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Post by vgambler33 on Dec 21, 2005 0:15:51 GMT -5
An Amerindian president would never fly in Argentina ain't that right Educate Me. There isn't to many Amerindians to start out with. |
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Post by vgambler33 on Dec 21, 2005 12:19:31 GMT -5
From a Tough Past to a Daunting Future in Impoverished Bolivia
The likely new president can relate to the masses, but can he fulfill his promises to them?
LA PAZ, Bolivia — He was reared in an adobe hut with a thatched roof. Four of his siblings didn't survive childhood. He only made it past a difficult birth because a traditional healer intervened.
As a boy, he herded his family's llamas, kicked soccer balls on a dusty field and scavenged orange peels tossed by travelers in passing buses. "One of my great aspirations was to travel in one of those buses," he says.
Today, Evo Morales crisscrosses Bolivia in a private plane and faces the daunting task of meeting the expectations he has raised among the country's angry masses.
The 46-year-old former bricklayer, baker, sugar cane cutter and trumpet player in a traveling band is poised to be Bolivia's next leader, the first Indian president in the nation's history.
Unofficial returns show Morales with about 51% of the vote, which, if confirmed, would give the stocky, wide-grinned union man and his Movement to Socialism the largest vote margin of any Bolivian president since the country's shaky return to democracy in 1982 after a series of military governments.
Heads of state can come and go quickly in Bolivia, where popular protests have chased out two presidents since 2003. Dozens of military coups mark the nation's contentious history.
So already, some community leaders are talking about giving Morales 90 days from his Jan. 22 inauguration to make good on his many promises, among them nationalizing the oil and gas industries, convening a constitutional assembly and revamping the entire government and economic structure.
"This is not about one or three months," Morales responded Monday, noting that foreign exploitation of Bolivia's resources and people dates to the Spanish conquest. "One can't erase a debt of 500 years in that time."
Morales, an admirer of Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, also opposes U.S. anti-drug efforts. He has pledged to be a "nightmare" for U.S. policymakers.
In wind-swept hamlets on the barren Altiplano, the high-plains indigenous homeland where Morales was born, people speak bitterly about U.S.-backed "neoliberal" economic policies that, in their view, have brought even greater poverty to South America's poorest nation. That theme was a mantra at every Morales campaign stop.
Whether Morales and his team of economic neophytes will come up with something better is an open question. He doesn't face an easy path. His party is unlikely to have a majority in Congress. He is not especially popular in the relatively prosperous lowlands to the east, which include the city of Santa Cruz.
Morales said Monday that his government would respect private property, an apparent effort to reassure investors and property holders. He has said before that foreign investors would be welcome but that his administration would attempt to extract the best deals for Bolivia.
The U.S. Embassy appeared to recognize the inevitable. "We congratulate Evo Morales on his apparent victory," it said Monday. "The quality of our relationship will depend on the policies of the new government on a wide range of issues, most importantly on strong respect for democratic institutions."
Earlier in the day, Morales said Washington wasn't among the many capitals that had been in contact to congratulate him. "I don't expect anything from that government," he snapped.
With so much anti-U.S. sentiment here, it was difficult for Morales' chief rival, Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, a U.S.-educated former interim president, to make much headway. He was often accused of being Washington's candidate. The early results showed him with about 31% of the vote, some 20 points behind Morales. The dejected candidate conceded and congratulated Morales.
Among its other challenges abroad, the Bush administration must now live with Morales as a head of state in South America's fractious heartland. His rise has caused ripples in a region where left-of-center but generally pragmatic presidents have come to office in recent years, in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
"Did Evo Morales win in Bolivia or did Hugo Chavez open his first outlet … in the Andean region?" asked the conservative Argentine daily La Nacion.
The lightning-rod issue in U.S.-Bolivian relations remains the cultivation of the coca leaf, the raw ingredient in cocaine. Washington views the coca-eradication program it backs here as a great success in reducing the flow of Bolivian cocaine to the United States. Once a major supplier to the U.S., Bolivia is now well behind Colombia and Peru, officials say.
Morales, who rose to national prominence as leader of the coca growers federation, based in the subtropical Chapare region, has already said he would seek to end the eradication effort and other legal restrictions on coca cultivation.
Morales spoke optimistically of a new "industrialization" of coca production for legal purposes, such as brewing tea, chewing and ceremonial uses. U.S. officials say the legally sanctioned coca leaf quota here already satisfies such uses.
In the lush Chapare, peasants are already relishing a return to the days of virtually unrestricted cultivation of the easy-to-grow leaf. They welcomed Morales as a returning hero when he came to vote at a battered school over the weekend, along with a pack of journalists. He played racquetball with some of his old friends.
"Coca plantations serve to sustain our families," said Leandro Valencia, who explained that he was able to send his three children to study in La Paz with the proceeds from coca production. "That is why this is a historic day for the Chapare."
Morales says he is against cocaine and has repeatedly denied links to traffickers, charges that got him temporarily thrown out of Congress in 2002.
Although they won't say so in public, U.S. officials are concerned that Morales will open the country to unfettered coca production. Three years ago, when Morales first ran for president, his popularity soared after then-U.S. Ambassador Manuel Rocha warned that U.S. aid would probably decline if Morales was elected.
Morales thereafter referred in jest to the U.S. ambassador as "my campaign manager."
But the coca issue, though high on the list of U.S. concerns, is only part of the broad, populist agenda that swept Morales to power. He successfully parlayed his humble origins and coca union activism into a national platform that tapped into Bolivians' deep disgust with a political status quo long dominated by a white and mixed-race elite with close ties to Washington and multinational corporations..
"Evo is something new, not the same old corrupt leaders who have sold our patrimony," said Vilma Lobos, a 21-year-old shopkeeper in La Paz, the administrative capital, expressing a common sentiment. "I think he will be able to keep his promises, unlike all the other politicians."
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