Here's an article recommended by Roxana. Originally published on Page 12 on February 5
HOW IS THE NEW INDIAN GOVERNMENT LEADER EVO MORALES
Two weeks of vertigo by Pablo Stefanoni
Bolivia from La Paz
A former maid as justice minister, a former coca grower as "czar" drug, an Indian who wants to speak Quechua and Aymara diplomats were among features of the first two weeks of Evo Morales as president.
The first two weeks of government of Evo Morales gestures were charged more or less symbolic, to reinforce the idea of "turn the page" with which the left wants to start their management. At three ceremonies taking more ritual-including in-Tiahuanacu followed the appointment of the former employee home-for 18 years Casimira Rodriguez in charge of the portfolio of Justice - "used to be a place only of lawyers, now we are also social movements" - the appointment of former coca grower Felipe Caceres as a new drug czar and an Indian " hard, "David Choquehuanca, in charge of the Foreign Ministry. "The diplomats should speak Quechua or Aymara," he said putting the willies exclusives "elites" diplomatic, which threatened to close the Diplomatic Academy to be exclusive. "
addition, President Evo Morales met with the lowering of wages -57 Percent for the president, who earn less than $ 2000 and 50 percent for parliamentarians, and imposed a work rate martial-enters the palace at 5 am and sometimes earlier. And in an unprecedented gesture, will live in the presidential residence in St. George to vice president and the chairmen of both chambers to "work 24 hours a day." On the other hand, Morales removed the entire military leadership and skipped two classes suspected of involvement in the controversial delivery of 28 Chinese HN-5 missiles to the United States appointed a human rights activist, Sacha Llorenti, as ambassador to Washington "to bring Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada "(to answer for the 60 dead October 2003) and is preparing a law convening the Constituent Assembly that" guarantees "for most social and indigenous movements to" refound "Bolivia.
However, not all will be a "cup of milk" or a linear path toward change. The steps of the new government show the difficulties to solve the equation between utopia and realpolitik already had to face other leftist governments that wanted to "change the world from power." Evo Morales, with bargaining waist developed in his work as coca growers union, knows this well. In addition, social movements and union are far from the idealized image that at times are seen abroad.
By way of example, the new Labor Minister Santiago Galvez Mamani, is a worker, leader of the Federation of Factory which is in favor of the FTA with the United States. The factory even made a massive march in alliance with the textile entrepreneurs Oct. 23, who came to the gates of the U.S. Embassy demanding the signing of NAFTA, many of whose participants came from the "aggressive" city of Alto. And, paradoxically, the government has an ally "anti TLC" to a sector of Santa Cruz exporters, mainly soybeans and to consolidate this partnership, are outlined, for example, agreements with Venezuela and Libya to export soybeans and sugar.
government also try a capital alliance with sectors of the "insolent." The presence in the cabinet of Millionaire "left", Salvador Ric Riera, son of exiled Catalan Republican, would go down that road. Ric, who declared a personal wealth of $ 40 million, is an outsider among corporations Santa Cruz, and his appointment is sought, according to a source close to the government, an approach to areas commonly affected in tenders funded by international financial organizations by example, part of the construction industry made in Bolivia. There are also some "spots" in the new cabinet, one of the ministers is the most questioned Defense Minister Walker San Miguel, "quota" of La Paz Mayor Juan del Granado, who served as a trustee of several privatizations and on the board of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, owned by businessman Ernesto filomafioso Asbún.
For many, one of the issues that will define the course of the socialist government will tender Mutún-largest reserve of iron and manganese of Bolivia, demanded by business sectors Santa Cruz and coveted by many transnational corporations. Morales promised to give the green light to bid and government sectors as hard Hydrocarbons Minister Andres Soliz Rada, would oppose, claiming the prior amendment of the Mining Code. It is also expected a definition of the kind of "nationalization" oil that will power the next administration.
The reality is that, beyond the discourse of the new government sovereigntist, many of its projects should be financed by international cooperation ("On my trip I learned that being a good president is doing good business," said Morales to return world tour.) And the "Andean capitalism" proposed by Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera parentalize no longer "national capitalism" of yesteryear.
0 comments:
Post a Comment