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Bolivia burning
Por (((i))) - Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2003 at 11:10 PM

day of violence in Bolivia

Up and till now 13 people have died in the military repression that made use or war type amunition to control the social conflict. President Sánchez de Lozada announced he would anulate the "impuestazo", the proposed tax rise that resulted in civil war situation of today. Airplanes are flying over the town and it seems more than probable that a curfew is imposed tomorrow to prevent further protests.

And this although Sánchez de Lozada announced the anulation of the "impuestazo". This law was what was needed to provoke the explosion of social discontent and protest, part of this being the strike of the police. Several sectors reclaim that the president renounce. For tomorrow there is a call for a general strike.

Three days ago, when the president Sanches de Lozadas government decreted a tax rise, which means a 10% cutdown on public and private employees salaries. In the already complicated situation of stillstanding negotiations between the government and the "Estado Mayor del Pueblo" the "impuestazo" drove people from the middle class onto the streets and even provoked critique in corporate sectors. The idea had been, following the strict regulations of the IMF, to cutdown on the household deficit. The erradication of Coca, privatisation of gas, the FTAA and other US impositions, had already caused campesino roadblocks that were brutally attacked causing the death of at least 14 people.

This time the protests exploded in the cities. Tuesday night the police special forces (Grupos Especiales de Seguridad) went on strike. There cuartel is at a 150 meters from the presidencial palace. They protested against the cutdown of their salaries and the "impuestazo". Wednesday morning the wives of the police and policemen without uniforms protested. Students of Colegio Ayacucho, protesting against the dismissal of the schools director took advantage of that no police were present and threw stones at the government building called "burned palace" in Plaza Murillo. More and more protesters gathered.

The military in form of its military police viciously cracked down on the protesters, killing various and then moving on to fight the police. The conflict went on all day, also in Cochabamba and other parts of the country. The protesters set fire and ransacked the ministry of employment, the vicepresidency, and the buildings of the parties MIR and MNR, both part of them being part of the government. Some shops were also ransacked.

At 6 pm the president announced that the project to rise taxes had been stopped and ordered the military to retreat. 13 people are reported to have died so far, at least 50 people have been wounded. Evo Morales, of the Movimiento al Socialismo (movement to socialism) and Central Obrera Boliviana (union), amongst others, asked for Sanchez de Losada to renounce. In spite of the troops retreat their are rumours of a curfew and miitary airplanes are circuling the town. For tomorrow there is a call for a general strike.

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cuidenses
Por lila - Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 at 2:56 AM

fuerza companeros y companeras...aca en el norte estamos en solidaridad con ustedes.
lila
ps - hay alguien quien sabe lo que pasa en santa cruz?

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What is going on in Bolivia now?
Por Pete - Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 at 2:58 PM
founder@1Collegeplace.com

What is going on in Bolivia now?

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New Leadership from the Grass
Por Pete - Friday, Feb. 14, 2003 at 7:12 PM
founder@1Collegeplace.com

As a person and a country health is important. As a person it is clear we need food, water, housing and compassion. Certainly a country also has needs although they are very different from a persons. Each countries needs differ depending on climate, resources and unfortunately leadership. It is this crucial difference between a humans needs and a countries needs that causes so much turmoil, the leadership of a country sets the countries agenda just like the leaders of a corporation sets the agenda for a corporation. Now is the time to work towards participatory democracies where a countries needs and wants can be developed by the people not a few corruptible elected leaders.

Not having enough money to be able to live a basic life is more than upsetting no matter which country you live in. As a country not having enough money or not following the economic leadership of the worlds superpower can cause a different kind of national poverty. Being hungry, taken advantage of and used as a tool for someone else’s profit causes pain in every country. It would seem that many countries have poor people starving and dying on a daily basis for some reason or another. In South America lately gains have been made for humans after corporations and elected leaders have turned their backs. In one country there is a President of the people who hopefully will work towards regional relief of poverty by utilizing the continents strengths not by relying on economic treaties for a countries gains. In most countries the police and military have worked together to oppress peoples voices. In the country of Bolivia your police have united with the people. This has caused deaths which is the farthest thing from what manifestations should create. As an American I have lived most of my life far from death. At times not having enough money for food has caused hunger, misery, not having enough money for heat has caused distrust of my community both of these lacks caused me to appreciate the better times. Hopefully better times are around the corner for all peoples of the world regardless of country. Hopefully better times will be had by the people of South Africa when America policies are reversed and we release the technologies to save lives not increase false profits. Hopefully the peoples of Zapitista will be able to live in peace not worrying when the next murder of a leader will occur when elected leaders realize the Zapitista model of participating in government IS the working model. Hopefully the people of Bolivia will one day escape poverty and be able to sustain their communities in cooperation with their neighbors of South America. Over the next few years the FTAA and CAFTA will be a priority for the current administration of the United States and to many elite leaders who favor neo-liberal policies. These economic treaties are not written by the large community of the United States. In fact they have been written by a very small economic and corporate community who seek your resources at an unfair exchange rate because of currency inequalities. This same small corporations want your fruit, flowers, oil, gas and sweat at little cost then turn around and sell those same goods for much more.









Your regions would benefit from creating your own alliances regionally, create your own distribution systems, your own processing plants and your own trade system based on a common currency. A currency of fair trade, a currency worth the same in Bolivia and America. Most Americans live lives that are tied to economic conditions. My guess is that less than 5% of Americans live there day to day lives without having to make an economic decision. This creates a mindset that will let people of other nations get exploited to make their lives easier because they too are being exploited. You should not hate the Americans for this you should help show that another way is not only possible it is probable. Some of the factories of Southern America have been operating by the people for the people. These factories will hopefully produce goods and the people who make these goods will hopefully trade these goods for fruits and vegetables. Iceland has committed to being the first country to run their whole country completely from hydrogen by the year 2030. What does the Icelandic Hydrogen age have to do with Bolivia’s poverty?

To me the connection is that partnerships will take a different form. Countries and people will eventually trade differently. Peoples will someday be able to work for food housing, water and medication instead of working for a paycheck that would never be able to buy housing, food, water and medication. The innovations that Iceland creates will hopefully spread to America so that we will have less dependence on oil which would mean cleaner air, less chance of war and reinvestment in education, healthcare, and our communities which in turn will cause the average American to value life more which in turn will cause us to set a precedent of sharing our knowledge, our medicine and most importantly it will allow countries and people within countries the opportunity to share their lives.

This shift in country, economic and person to person trading systems will not happen overnight. It will take one person at a time helping the person you live next too. It will take you as a people of Bolivia to democratically remove the decision makers and for you as a small country to determine your own future. You are 8 million souls who are in pain right now. The President of your country is in pain and the pauper who is starving is in pain and so am I. Together you may be able to realize that you could feed and clothe yourselves with the help of other countries who also have high poverty rates because of this economic fashion of living that clearly does not work. Your country could develop a strategy of farming that will share the true wealth of your country. Through working in communities you could develop other crops to feed yourselves. Violent revolts do have history in this world but they are a history of much pain to all those involved. You can write another history of sharing, cooperation and in realizing that your country could work in a different way for different goals. The International Monetary Fund had its purpose and it was to show that economics does not tie countries together in a healthy way. It showed us that having countries owe each other monies creates a you serve us national relations policy. It has shown us that money does corrupt and that leaders will sacrifice peoples lives to payback these loans as long as they are comfortable.





Although all the history I was taught was probably misleading it is true that most gains for a healthier civilization have been made by the suffering class. Women’s rights were an issue before Civil Rights were an issue in this country. Religious rights were an issue for the original immigrants in America before taxation without representation was ever considered unfair to a culture. The history of oppressed peoples overcoming great odds to make positive gains for the larger human civilization is very rich and powerful. This type of richness cannot fill the stomachs of today. What it can do is nourish yourselves today knowing you are working towards a healthier human population for you future ancestors. In your region there are opportunities to grow fruits and vegetables. There are opportunities to learn from the tribal peoples who have managed to live for a very long time in isolation.

A country is also managed by a leader or groups of leaders. In America many of the citizenry here are facing problems that are often not exposed. You have exposed a source of the problems in your country. A country with 2/3 people living in poverty has to change drastically to feed all of you. A country has to become a neighborhood where you look towards each other for caring, strength and the production of those basic needs that all countries have forgotten about. Working towards a culture that caters to those human needs of housing, food, water, medicine and compassion is difficult but necessary. Working towards developing a neighborhood where food is a part of everyone’s efforts and water is flowing for everyone’s consumption. The time has come for all nations to realize that economic trading does not create healthy standards of living for all in a country it creates it for a few. This is far from good enough.

The people of your country have uprised and death has happened and damage has been done. What needs to happen here in America and there in Bolivia is a different kind of strength. A different kind of understanding of right and wrong. A different kind of development and growth. Growth that comes from learning new life sustaining practices, learning new ways to share your efforts and strengths as a human. In a country of 8 million you could break free of economic tyranny but break those chains with tolerance, different models of living and most importantly an outlook of moving past hate and rage which only makes more hate and rage and creates a larger divide among the people of any country.

In Peace,
Pete

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