The Conspiracy to Divide Bolivia Must Be Denounced

[ckaihatsu]

The Conspiracy to Divide Bolivia Must Be Denounced

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Rigoberta Menchú, Noam Chomsky...

Forwarded by MICHEL COLLON - 30 of April 08

The situation in Bolivia is each day more serious. It is now our duty to support the President Evo Morales, by signing and forwarding this petition. You can give your support to [email protected] or to [email protected]

The process of changes in favor of the Bolivian majority is at risk of being brutally restrained. The rise to power of an Indigenous president with unprecedented support in that country and his programs of popular benefits and recovery of the natural resources have had to face the conspiracies of the oligarchy and United States interference from the very beginning.
In recent days the increase in conspiracy has reached its climax. The subversive and unconstitutional actions of the oligarchic groups to try to divide the Bolivian nation reflect the racist and elitist minds of these sectors and constitute a very dangerous precedent not only for the country's integrity, but for oth e r countries in our region.
History shows with ample eloquence, the terrible consequences that the divisionary and separatist processes supported and induced by foreign interests have had for humanity.
Faced with this situation the signers below would like to express their support for the government of Evo Morales Ayma, for his policies for change and for the sovereign constituent process of the Bolivian people. At the same time we reject the so-called Santa Cruz Autonomy Statute due to its unconstitutionality and the attempt against the unity of a nation of our America.

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (Argentina); Rigoberta Menchú (Guatemala); Noam Chomsky (EEUU); Oscar Niemeyer (Brasil); Eduardo Galeano (Uruguay); Ignacio Ramonet (España/Francia); Elena Poniatowska (México); Frei Betto (Brasil); Gianni Vattimo (Italia); Adolfo Sánchez Vázquéz (España/México); Ernesto Cardenal (Nicaragua); Armand Mattelart (Bélgica); Ramsey Clark (EEUU); Manu Chao (Francia/España); Franz Hinkelammert (Alemania/Costa Rica); Francois Houtart (Bélgica); Alfonso Sastre (España); Paul Leduc (México); Fernando Pino Solanas (Argentina); Roberto Fernández Retamar (Cuba); Howard Zinn (EEUU); Keith Ellis (Canadá); Jorge Enrique Adoum (Ecuador); Belén Gopegui (España); Arturo Roig (Argentina), Jesusa Rodríguez (México); Stella Calloni (Argentina); Joao Pedro Stedile (Brasil); Eric Toussaint (Bélgica); Rafael Cancel Miranda (Puerto Rico); Richard Gott (Reino Unido); Miguel D'Escoto (Nicaragua); Silvio Rodríguez (Cuba); Carmen Bohórquez (Venezuela); Víctor Heredia (Argentina); Blanca Chancosa (Ecuador); Thiago de Mello (Brasil); Juan Mari Bras (Puerto Rico); Hildebrando Pérez (Perú); Pascual Serrano (España); Fernando Rendón (Colombia); Víctor Víctor (República Dominicana); Luisa Vicioso (Rep. Dominicana); Cecilia Todd (Venezuela); Alex Cox (Reino Unido); Danny Rivera (Puerto Rico); Isaac Rosa (España); Jean Marie Binoche (Francia); Ramón Chao (España/Francia); Pablo Guayasamín (Ecuador); Andrés Sorel (España); Ariel Dorfman (Chile); Carlo Frabetti (Italia/España); Carlos Fazio (México); Manuel Cabieses (Chile); Carlos Fernández Liria (España); Cintio Vitier (Cuba); Héctor Díaz-Polanco (Rep. Dominicana/México); Javier Couso Permuy (España); Jaime Caycedo (Colombia); Fernando Martínez Heredia (Cuba); Isabel Parra (Chile); James Cockcroft (EEUU); Fina García Marruz (Cuba); Fernando Morais (Brasil); Juan Madrid (España); Pablo Marcano García (Puerto Rico); Graziella Pogolotti (Cuba); Piero Gleijeses (Italia/EEUU); Raúl Pérez Torres (Ecuador); Miguel Barnet (Cuba); Roberto Diaz Castillo (Guatemala); Nancy Morejón (Cuba); Salim Lamrani (Francia); Santiago Alba Rico (España); Saul Landau (EEUU); Stefania Mosca (Venezuela); Víctor Flores Olea (México); Wim Dierckxsens (Costa Rica); Wozniak (Polonia); Eric Nepomuceno (Brasil); Aldo Díaz Lacayo (Nicaragua); Alfredo Vera (Ecuador); Angel Augier (Cuba); Antonio Elías (Uruguay); Beverly Keene (Argentina/EEUU); Constantino Bértolo (España); Michel Collon (Bélgica); Juan Carlos Camaño (Argentina); César López (Cuba); Emir Sader (Brasil); Fernando Buen Abad Domínguez (México); Eduardo Torres-Cuevas (Cuba); Gennaro Carotenuto (Italia); Gilberto Maringoni (Brasil);Gloria la Riva (EEUU); Hernando Calvo Ospina (Colombia); Higinio Polo (España); Iván Padilla (Venezuela); Jaime Sarusky (Cuba); James Early (EEUU); Jorge Beinstein (Argentina); Jorge Sanjinés (Bolivia); José Steinsleger (Argentina/México); Julio César Monge (El Salvador); Lasse Söderberg (Suecia); José Hugo Moldiz Mercado (Bolivia); José Pertierra (Cuba/EEUU); Luciano Vasapollo (Italia); Luis Bilbao (Argentina); Manuel Talens (España); Marcos Roitman (Chile): Marlon Santi (Ecuador); Matías Bosch (Rep. Dominicana); Michele Mattelart (Francia); Montserrat Ponsa Tarres (España); Néstor Kohan (Argentina); Pablo Armando Fernández (Cuba); Roberto Montoya (Argentina/España); Sergio Trabucco (Chile); Medea Benjamín (EEUU); Reynaldo González (Cuba); Roberto Sánchez Ramos (España); Setsuko Ono (Japón/EEUU); Vicente Battista (Argentina); Vicente Rodríguez Nietzsche (Puerto Rico); Winston Orrillo Ledesma (Perú); Alberto Lecci (Argentina); Alejandro Moreano (Ecuador); Alessandra Riccio (Italia); Alicia Jrapko (EEUU); Ana Esther Ceceña (México); Angel Juarez Almendros (España); Antoine Chao (Francia); Ángeles Maestro (España); Antón Arrufat (Cuba); Aram Aharonian (Uruguay); Claudia Camba (Argentina); Carilda Oliver Labra (Cuba); Claudia Korol (Argentina); Daniel Lorenzi (Italia); David Acera (España); Faride Zeran (Chile); Diosdado Toledano (España); Félix Julio Alfonso López (Cuba); Francisco (Pancho) Villa (Chile); Irene Amador (Colombia); Francisco de Oraa (Cuba); Jane Franklin (EEUU); Humberto Arenal (Cuba); Juan Brom (México); Lisette Nicole Adoum (Suiza); Jorge Ibarra (Cuba); Luciano Alzaga (Argentina); Marilia Guimaraes (Brasil); José Ignacio López Vigil (Cuba); Manuel de la Rica (España); Maximilien Arvelaiz (Venezuela); Leonardo Acosta (Cuba); Miguel Mirra (Argentina); Milagros Rivera Rérez (Puerto Rico); Oscar-René Vargas (Nicaragua); Osvaldo León (Ecuador); Paulo Nakatani (Brasil); Pepe Viñoles (Uruguay); Red Ronnie (Italia); Rolando Rodríguez (Cuba); Sara Rosemberg (Argentina); Vicente Romano (España); Sergio Ortiz (Argentina); Yamandú Acosta (Uruguay); Antonio Cuesta (España); Antonio Gaztambide (Puerto Rico); Coriún Aharonian (Uruguay); Rosa Miriam Elizalde (Cuba); Daniel del Solar (EEUU); Ángel Guerra (Cuba); Edgar Páez (Venezuela); Eva Golinger (EEUU); Guillermo C. Cohen-DeGovia (México); Estrella Rey (Cuba); Hiram Guadalupe Pérez (Puerto Rico); Humberto Mata (Venezuela); Isabel Monal (Cuba); Jhonny Jiménez (Ecuador); Joseba Macías (País Vasco); Juan Carlos Monedero (España); Julio Pomar (México); René Vázquez Díaz (Cuba); Liliana Játiva (Ecuador); Daniel das Neves (Argentina); Luis Hernández Navarro (México); María del Carmen Barcia (Cuba); Mertxe Aizpurua (País Vasco); Andrés Gómez (Cuba/EEUU); Nayar López (México); Ramon Franquesa (España); Zoyla Lapique (Cuba); Margarita Zapata (México); Miguel Urbano (Portugal); Javier Corcuera (Perú); Alicia Hermida (España); Jaime Losada (España); Alejandro Torres (Puerto Rico); Juan Antonio Hormigón (España); Lidia Fagale (Argentina); Brian Becker (EEUU); Héctor Sosa (Argentina); Ana María Larrea (Ecuador); Ana Villareal (Argentina); Beatriz Chisleanschi (Argentina); Carlos A. Lozano Guillén (Colombia); Judith Rabinovich (Argentina); Sergio Arria (Venezuela); Elinor Cesín (Venezuela).

[cyu]

Since I have anarchist leanings, I don't see any inherent problem with various regions declaring autonomy. What is more important is that the right of people to move into those regions should be protected.

In addition, there must also be protection of the right of the people to assume democratic control of the resources they use to make a living - thus if some rich natural gas baron thinks he can get away with declaring independence and being his own warlord, he'll have another thing coming when his employees decide to just ignore him and decide for themselves how to divide up the revenue from their companies.

[bootleg42]

Since I have anarchist leanings, I don't see any inherent problem with various regions declaring autonomy. What is more important is that the right of people to move into those regions should be protected.

In addition, there must also be protection of the right of the people to assume democratic control of the resources they use to make a living - thus if some rich natural gas baron thinks he can get away with declaring independence and being his own warlord, he'll have another thing coming when his employees decide to just ignore him and decide for themselves how to divide up the revenue from their companies.

I'm Bolivian and I'll tell you that anyone who has no problem with this is either dogmatic to his/her doctrine, or just REALLY un-informed.

The entire east side of the country is run by really racist whites and the workers of the east are REALLY loyal to them. We call them "cambas" and they never question anything and they hate the highland indians and all the colored people in the country.

This has to be stopped at all costs.

[Davie zepeda]

This is yet a other intervention we need to stand tall and petition this where do we send the petition.

[Davie zepeda]

?

[chegitz guevara]

One of the problems is the Morales isn't fighting this. He's just declaring it illegitimate and ignoring it. That's a damn stupid move, because of the vote for autonomy succeeds, it will give great impetus to the whites to build an independence movement.

[Luís Henrique]

Since I have anarchist leanings, I don't see any inherent problem with various regions declaring autonomy. What is more important is that the right of people to move into those regions should be protected.

In addition, there must also be protection of the right of the people to assume democratic control of the resources they use to make a living - thus if some rich natural gas baron thinks he can get away with declaring independence and being his own warlord, he'll have another thing coming when his employees decide to just ignore him and decide for themselves how to divide up the revenue from their companies.

Hello?! Planet Earth calling, can you hear me?!

Luís Henrique

[ckaihatsu]

http://www.marxist.com/bolivia-oligarchy-prepares-major-challenge-may-4th.htm

Bolivia: the oligarchy prepares a major challenge on May 4th

By Jorge Martin
Monday, 28 April 2008

[...]

In effect, what the coalition of wealthy landowners, capitalist agribusinesses and key sections of the Bolivian ruling class are attempting is a unilateral declaration of independence so that they will not have to implement the laws passed by the MAS government of Evo Morales, particularly in relation to land reform and hydrocarbons. This is a very powerful coalition, that has been described as the "100 clans", which controls large amounts of land (25 million hectares as opposed to 5 million hectares which are in the hands of 2 million poor peasants), meat packing plants, the profitable business of soy bean plantations, the country's main banks and media and the main private industries. They are defending their class interests and they are prepared to go until the end and use any means necessary.

They have used the issue of "autonomy" to mobilise mass support for what in reality is a rebellion of the slaveholders, to use Marx's expression. At the same time they have been arming thousands of young people, recruited from the sons of the wealthy and from lumpen elements, in what can only be described as the fascist gangs of the Union Juvenil Cruceña. With a strong element of racism against the "Highland Indios", people with dark, indigenous, skin have been beaten up, lists of MAS activists pasted on the main square in Santa Cruz, a city where only right-wing political activity is now allowed. Evo Morales himself has been called a "monkey" by leading figures in the Santa Cruz "Civic" Committee.

[...]

[BIG BROTHER]

This is so wrong, to me it seems that Evo needs to act with a stronger first against those reactionaries. If not, we'll know that the consecuences for the movement can be terrible for bolivia. If the movement against him keeps getting stronger, we know that the CIA might consider sponsoring them, to coup Evo.

[Leonid]

I wonder why the Bolivian government is acting so indecisively regarding these USA-backed separatists and their oligarch financiers. To my mind, the Bolivian government should issue an uncompromising warning against such a move.

[cyu]

The entire east side of the country is run by really racist whites and the workers of the east are REALLY loyal to them. We call them "cambas" and they never question anything and they hate the highland indians and all the colored people in the country.


People aren't naturally racist. Racism is taught. It is a tool used by capitalists to keep one group of the oppressed busy fighting another group of the oppressed, so they never focus on the real oppressor.

The real mistake when these supposed leftist politicians get elected is that they don't do anything about capitalist owned media. As long as the mass media is owned and controlled by the wealthy, they will be able to mobilize large amounts of people, even against these people's own interests, as can be seen in Bolivia.

If they really believed in democracy there, then as soon as the government came into power, there should have been moves to democratize the mass media. Remove control of it by a small percentage of the population.

[bootleg42]

I wonder why the Bolivian government is acting so indecisively regarding these USA-backed separatists and their oligarch financiers. To my mind, the Bolivian government should issue an uncompromising warning against such a move.

Well, not defending it so much but, you have to understand the people of the western highlands of Bolivia to understand why Evo might be taking such a path. The people of the Western highlands are the most peaceful, pacifist people there are (very good people). They come from a culture of dialog and they don't prefer violence. In fact, all of the violence of the past by the poor there was only made possible after the military REALLY got violent on them. It was (and still is) very common that if violence is used against the poor of the Western highlands, they just sit there and take it in a peaceful way. It takes a lot to get them to react violently.

Although it seems that some in the western highlands are getting a bit restless. I seriously hope that at least something can be done about the media there because it's ridiculous. The Bolivian, Colombian, and Venezuelan private media are the worst. People in the U.S. think Fox news is bad???? Wait till you see those mentioned Latin America private media.

[Guerrilla22]

This amounts to nothing more than an attempt by the ruling class Bolivia's wealthies region to protect their wealth. Morales must not allow this to go through.

[cyu]

Latest news:

Bolivia: Failure of the referendum on autonomy
http://www.marxist.com/bolivia-failure-referendum-autonomy.htm

Interesting quote:
"The local communities of this district showed the TV cameras the ballots that these boxes contained and they were all already marked with YES votes, before the polling stations had even opened!"

[Coggeh]

It will be interesting to see how America and western European nations react to this , and if they will support it . Should they support it they have to support the autonomy of the Basque region , Catalonia , Northern Ireland etc .

Though i think they'll just ignore that like they did with Kosovo . I've already heard unconfirmed reports of the yanks backing the bourgeois separatist movement in Bolivia .
Link :
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3416