Evo, Si?

While touring around La Paz or other cities on the altiplano, by bus, train, or taxi, I couldn't help but see many billboards like those below, along with painted slogans, or posters, supporting in some way, Evo Morales, the president, and the ruling party, M.A.S., Moviemento as Socialisem (Movement Towards Socialism). This first billboard translates as "Bolivia, United, Grand, and for Everyone", and was for their referendum on his/their policies last summer. Which passed, with 68 percent of the vote, nation-wide.

This sign, below, translates as "Evo of the People", "Because they never abandoned us, the people will never abandon you". Typical political propaganda, you might say, and certainly there is an element of truth to that. No different than political campaigns in any country. But Evo Morales ascedence to the presidency of Bolivia in December, 2005 represented something historic to the 60 percent of that nation who are fully indigenous, since he is also, of the Aymara group, from the town of Oruro, south of La Paz. Much like the election of Barack Obama is seen by the African-American community in this country, but even more so, considering the longer period of repression and powerlessness of Bolivia's indigenous majority. This link gives a good basic biography of him, and his political career. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evo_Morales

I first became aware of his interesting rise and outlooks when he was elected, and read articles like this: http://www.counterpunch.org/morales09222006.html This was a speech he gave to the U.N. in 2006, in which he provided a clear and understandable outline of what he and his supporters are working for. For me, it made perfect sense, and was greatly admirable. And it was partially for this reason that I wanted to visit Bolivia, because I believe(d) their (MAS) movement had great promise and potential for alleviating long-standing poverty and injustice in that country. And for inspiring movements in other countries of a similar vein, perhaps even in Mexico and the U.S.

Following is the complete text of a letter Pres. Morales wrote to the U.N. on environmental issues, and I couldn't agree more with him.

26 September, 2007 -- Letter from President Evo Morales to the member representatives of the United Nations on the issue of the environment.

"Sister and brother Presidents and Heads of States of the United Nations: The world is suffering from a fever due to climate change, and the disease is the capitalist development model. Whilst over 10,000 years the variation in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels on the planet was approximately 10%, during the last 200 years of industrial development, carbon emissions have increased by 30%. Since 1860, Europe and North America have contributed 70% of the emissions of CO2. 2005 was the hottest year in the last one thousand years on this planet.

Different investigations have demonstrated that out of the 40,170 living species that have been studied, 16,119 are in danger of extinction. One out of eight birds could disappear forever. One out of four mammals is under threat. One out of every three reptiles could cease to exist. Eight out of ten crustaceans and three out of four insects are at risk of extinction. We are living through the sixth crisis of the extinction of living species in the history of the planet and, on this occasion, the rate of extinction is 100 times more accelerated than in geological times.

Faced with this bleak future, transnational interests are proposing to continue as before, and paint the machine green, which is to say, continue with growth and irrational consumerism and inequality, generating more and more profits, without realising that we are currently consuming in one year what the planet produces in one year and three months. Faced with this reality, the solution can not be an environmental make over.

I read in the World Bank report that in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change we need to end subsidies on hydrocarbons, put a price on water and promote private investment in the clean energy sector. Once again they want to apply market recipes and privatisation in order to carry out business as usual, and with it, the same illnesses that these policies produce. The same occurs in the case of biofuels, given that to produce one litre of ethanol you require 12 litres of water. In the same way, to process one ton of agrifuels you need, on average, one hectare of land.

Faced with this situation, we - the indigenous peoples and humble and honest inhabitants of this planet - believe that the time has come to put a stop to this, in order to rediscover our roots, with respect for Mother Earth; with the Pachamama as we call it in the Andes. Today, the indigenous peoples of Latin America and the world have been called upon by history to convert ourselves into the vanguard of the struggle to defend nature and life.

I am convinced that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, recently approved after so many years of struggle, needs to pass from paper to reality so that our knowledge and our participation can help to construct a new future of hope for all. Who else but the indigenous people, can point out the path for humanity in order to preserve nature, natural resources and the territories that we have inhabited from ancient times.

We need a profound change of direction, at the world wide level, so as to stop being the condemned of the earth. The countries of the north need to reduce their carbon emissions by between 60% and 80% if we want to avoid a temperature rise of more than 2º in what is left of this century, which would provoke global warming of catastrophic proportions for life and nature.

We need to create a World Environment Organisation which is binding, and which can discipline the World Trade Organisation, which is propelling as towards barbarism. We can no longer continue to talk of growth in Gross National Product without taking into consideration the destruction and wastage of natural resources. We need to adopt an indicator that allows us to consider, in a combined way, the Human Development Index and the Ecological Footprint in order to measure our environmental situation.

We need to apply harsh taxes on the super concentration of wealth, and adopt effective mechanisms for its equitable redistribution. It is not possible that three families can have an income superior to the combined GDP of the 48 poorest countries. We can not talk of equity and social justice whilst this situation continues.

The United States and Europe consume, on average, 8.4 times more that the world average. It is necessary for them to reduce their level of consumption and recognise that all of us are guests on this same land; of the same Pachamama.

I know that change is not easy when an extremely powerful sector has to renounce their extraordinary profits for the planet to survive. In my own country I suffer, with my head held high, this permanent sabotage because we are ending privileges so that everyone can "Live Well" and not better than our counterparts. I know that change in the world is much more difficult than in my country, but I have absolute confidence in human beings, in their capacity to reason, to learn from mistakes, to recuperate their roots, and to change in order to forge a just, diverse, inclusive, equilibrated world in harmony with nature."

Evo Morales Ayma President of the Republic de Bolivia

Unfortunately, his and his government's viewpoints like this are completely at odds with the majority of developed-nations, and our neo-fascist current administration began to actively work against the new Bolivian government in a variety of ways. Which led to the expulsion of the American ambassador, last September. He was accused of funding the separatist groups in the breakaway provinces, groups who were responsible for riots and many fatalities and injuries last Aug. and Sept.
http://shininglight.us/archives/2008/09/bolivia_at_the_abyss.php
Given America's horrible history of funding and supporting murderous right-wing governments over the past century in Latin America, it's hard not to believe at least some of the charges listed by the MAS government. And because the Bush regime has an especially active dislike of Evo M. and Hugo Chavez, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ch%C3%A1vez) in Venezuela, because they are outspoken about changing their societies unjust and grossly unequal political and economic systems using their nationalized-hydrocarbon wealth, and fighting against U.S. imperialist influence in Latin America (nationalized oil/gas industries set a dangerous precedent, although many developed countries have them, Norway, for example.) All that said though, I never had any problem when I divulged that I was from the U.S. A few people did ask me "what's wrong with your country?", about why Bush was elected twice. I told them our corporate media only shows things favorable to the current government, because they get tax breaks and other benefits. And that most Americans only read and see that information.

Before I did my Illimani climb, the owner of an outdoor store called Tattoo, in Calle Illampu, right down the street my first hotel, Rosario, said there was going to be a huge march/rally on the 20th/21st. He was not happy about it because the streets would be clogged, and it would be bad for business. I forgot about it though, but on the 20th, when I got back early from Illimani, I saw the thousands of people streaming into La Paz for this event. Then, the next day, after I visited at the office of the SNMH, I walked back through downtown, toward my hotel, Hotel Gloria, and came upon this scene.


This is just two blocks down the street from Plaza Murrillo, which I had first visited the day of my arrival in La Paz, and where the Presidential Offices and National Assembly Buildings are. What is all this? Bolivian voters are going to decide in January upon a new constitution that will attempt to meet some of the demands of the hydrocarbon-rich, oligarchical western provinces (the so-called Media Luna, middle crescent), while still trying to move forward with MAS initiatives to re-distribute unused land and allocate some income from natural gas exports toward social spending projects. Evo Morales and members of the MAS initiated and led this march across the entire country, to drum up support for the new constitution. On sunday the 20th of October, with Evo and the MAS officials leading, the hundreds of thousands of marchers streamed into La Paz. Groups of miners, farmers (including coca growers), and indigenous groups from all over the country, and even other countries in South America were part of it. On monday, the 21st, a rally was held in Plaza Murrillo, below, with Evo and other functionaries giving speeches, along with some of the different groups' representatives.


All the streets around Plaza Murrillo were clogged with several hundred thousand people. It was quite an effort getting around, but I managed to go through all the different areas around the plaza, including, at very bottom, right behind the stage where Evo and his people were sitting. At all times, people were courteous and nice to me, even though I stuck out like a sore thumb, being much taller and lighter in color. I have to say, it was very inspiring to see all these people, who had marched for many days, at great effort and expense, all in support of their government. Has that ever happened in the U.S.? After the nightmare of these last 8 GWB years especially, I was feeling very cynical about the political process in general, and seeing this helped reinvigorate me, and my desire to help create a more sane and just government in the U.S.


I wasn't able to understand all the speeches, native spanish speakers tend to be fairly fast, so I was only able to pick up scattered phrases. But most of the speeches seemed to be about the new constitution, working for all of Bolivia, etc.. I did catch a few anti-U.S. references, which I'm sure made sense to them, I wish had been able to understand all of them.

I noticed this man early on, above, in Plaza Murrillo, he seemed to have that energy, or air about him, of leadership and authority. I'm sure you can all remember when you've met someone like that. He actually came up to me and inquired where I was from, since obviously, I was a tourist. With my broken spanish and his few phrases of English, I managed to learn he was from Chapare, on the east side of the altiplano, where it starts to slope down to the rain forest. He was indeed the equivalent of a mayor, in his village, and was with a large group of farmers from there. I gave him my "Yo soy en parti verde Alaska Estados Unidos, Evo, Si!, Hugo, Si!" line, of course which I really mean, and he liked that. We talked for about ten minutes, before his group headed up toward the stage where Evo and the other politicians were. Unfortunately with the strong high-elevation tropical sun, I closed my eyes at the wrong time. Oh well...
During the rally, people were lighting firecrackers and skyrockets, and I have to admit, when these were going off, I got nervous, given the turbulent history in Bolivia, and indeed, in that very plaza.

So what does the future hold for Bolivia's fragile experiment with transforming their country? Every indigenous person I talked with was very much in favor of the MAS government and Evo. One Mestizo man, my guide Alejandro, at Tiwanaku, expressed concern about undue Venezuelan and Cuban influence, as thousands of advisors and medical personnel from both countries have been in Bolivia the last few years. The most pessimistic conversation I had was on the train to Uyuni, with a European woman who's husband worked for a European Union aid agency. She said the expulsion of the American ambassador led to other American interests leaving, and cost the country thousands of jobs. And that the differences between the oligarchical provinces and the MAS government were so great, that a civil war was practically inevitable. That was very depressing to hear, and I certainly hope that will not come to pass. I can only hope that the new Democratic administration in this country will take a more realistic and open-minded stance toward the countries in South America as well. As for me, Evo, Si! I really enjoyed my visit to Bolivia, and all the people I met and talked with were nice, most were hopeful for the future, and many thanked me for visiting. I just wish more of them could visit here!