cyu
19th September 2009, 01:47
Excerpts from http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2108/31/
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/images/stories/April09/evomorales.jpg
In a Gallup International poll published early this month, more than 57 percent of respondents said they would vote for the left-wing Morales, compared to less than 10 percent each for the two most popular right-leaning candidates
Indigenous people in Bolivia, South America's poorest country, make up a majority of the population - approximately 60 percent of a total of 9.3 million people - but have long suffered discrimination. They were not allowed to vote until 1952, and Morales is the country's first-ever indigenous president.
Just a few months into his term, Morales re-nationalised the country's vast natural gas reserves, renegotiated the terms of the contracts under which foreign oil firms are operating in the country, and raised royalties and taxes on natural gas
Since February, Bolivia has a new constitution, one of whose central aims is to bolster the rights of indigenous people. For example, native communities will decide how to manage local development and administer local natural resources.
The constitution also stipulates that all Bolivians have the right to water, food, education, health care, retirement pensions, housing, electricity, telecommunications and other basic services, which the state has the obligation to ensure access to in an efficient, equitable manner.
Analyst Carlos Toranzo said the right-wing opposition has been weakened since violent incidents last year in the central city of Santa Cruz - when radical right-wing youth groups encouraged by pro-business civic committees and opposition governors held violent protests, storming government buildings – and over rumours of ties to terrorist plans.
In another violent incident, in connection with which the then right-wing governor of the northern province of Pando, Leopoldo Fernández, was arrested, at least 15 indigenous people were shot to death when a group of Morales supporters were ambushed
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/images/stories/April09/evomorales.jpg
In a Gallup International poll published early this month, more than 57 percent of respondents said they would vote for the left-wing Morales, compared to less than 10 percent each for the two most popular right-leaning candidates
Indigenous people in Bolivia, South America's poorest country, make up a majority of the population - approximately 60 percent of a total of 9.3 million people - but have long suffered discrimination. They were not allowed to vote until 1952, and Morales is the country's first-ever indigenous president.
Just a few months into his term, Morales re-nationalised the country's vast natural gas reserves, renegotiated the terms of the contracts under which foreign oil firms are operating in the country, and raised royalties and taxes on natural gas
Since February, Bolivia has a new constitution, one of whose central aims is to bolster the rights of indigenous people. For example, native communities will decide how to manage local development and administer local natural resources.
The constitution also stipulates that all Bolivians have the right to water, food, education, health care, retirement pensions, housing, electricity, telecommunications and other basic services, which the state has the obligation to ensure access to in an efficient, equitable manner.
Analyst Carlos Toranzo said the right-wing opposition has been weakened since violent incidents last year in the central city of Santa Cruz - when radical right-wing youth groups encouraged by pro-business civic committees and opposition governors held violent protests, storming government buildings – and over rumours of ties to terrorist plans.
In another violent incident, in connection with which the then right-wing governor of the northern province of Pando, Leopoldo Fernández, was arrested, at least 15 indigenous people were shot to death when a group of Morales supporters were ambushed