Bolivians to vote on constitution that would empower Indian majority

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Bolivians to vote on constitution that would empower Indian majority
DAN KEANE, Associated Press Writer



February 28, 2008 8:34 PM

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) - A bitterly divided Bolivian Congress on Thursday approved a national vote on President Evo Morales' proposed constitution, which would grant greater political power to Bolivia's long-oppressed indigenous groups.

Lawmakers from Morales' Movement Toward Socialism party passed the referendum in a raucous session, thwarting opposition groups that last year walked out on the constitutional assembly and now refuse to recognize the framework.

Most opposition lawmakers were blocked from attending Thursday's session by a crowd of flag-waving Morales supporters and miners in hardhats who seized the plaza outside the congressional building.

If approved by voters, Morales' constitution would outline a detailed bill of rights and considerable autonomy for the country's 36 indigenous groups, long shut out of power by the country's white elite.



Read more: http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=WORLD&ID=565252953808962317

[rjones2818]

1. Go Evo!

:kick:
:applause:
:woohoo:
:beer:

[Peace Patriot]

2. I just discovered a fab speech on So. America by Congr Joe Serrano, at BoRev.net

Back in Jan 07. Missed it at the time. Well worth our attention, because Serrano objects to the overweaning anti-Castro Miami lobby, which prompted DEMOCRATS in Congress to pass a voice-vote (so we can't identify the voters) resolution linking all of the new ELECTED leftist governments in South America to "Iranian terrorism." Serrano brings SANITY to this discussion, bless his soul!

http://www.borev.net/2007/11/an_army_of_jose.html

Why is this important in a thread about Bolivia's Constitution? Because the Bush/U.S. embassy in Bolivia is distributing millions of OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS to the rich, fascist, rural landowners who want to split their gas/oil rich provinces off from the central government of Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia (in a majority indigenous country), and are furthermore SPYING on leftist political and social justice groups in Bolivia, all the better to--as DONALD RUMSFELD said THIS LAST DECEMBER, in the Washington Post--implement "swift" U.S. action in support of Bush "friends and allies" in South America (fascist thugs planning coups)...

"The Smart Way to Beat Tyrants Like Chávez," by Donald Rumsfeld, 12/1/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

Hillary Clinton echoes Rumsfeld here:

"If I am entrusted with the presidency, America will have the courage, once again, to meet with our adversaries. But I will not be penciling in the leaders of Iran or North Korea or Venezuela or Cuba on the presidential calendar without preconditions, until we have assessed through lower level diplomacy, the motivations and intentions of these dictators. --Hillary Clinton (at GW University, 2/25/08)
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/speech/view/?id=6196

Obama's statements about Chavez (read: Oil War II) have been more ambiguous and circumspect, but not particularly comforting. Neither Clinton nor Obama seem to understand that Chavez is NOT a "tyrant," has run a scrupulously lawful, elected government for ten years, and has a 70% approval rating. What do the Venezuelans know that our political establishment is deliberately hiding from us? That Venezuela has transparent elections, and we do not? That the poor majority deserves more than warm spit--they deserve REAL representation of their interests in government?

Congressman Joe Serrano puts all of this in context--in regard not just to Hugo Chavez but also Evo Morales (Bolivia), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), Nestor and Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua) and other new, elected, leftist leaders. He basically says that U.S. rhetoric toward Latin America has always been "democracy, democracy" (in contrast to U.S. behavior--supporting rightwing dictators), and that, now that they HAVE democracy, why the hell is the U.S. not CELEBRATING this fact, instead of undermining and berating, and trying to overturn, these DEMOCRATIC governments?

He singles out Evo Morales as an example. Here we have the FIRST INDIGENOUS PRESIDENT of Bolivia, in an overwhelmingly indigenous country. It is a mighty victory for democracy! It overturned hundreds of years of bigotry and oppression. And what does our hairbrained, oil-mad government do, with the DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS echoing this garbage? They try to demonize Evo Morales as somehow connected to "demon" Iran.

I would go further than Congressman Serrano. I would say that Donald Rumsfeld is planning Oil War II: South America--and that at least Hillary Clinton goes along with this crap (not sure about Obama). But Serrano didn't have the events of the last year and early this year as context--Rumsfeld's op-ed, Exxon Mobil's recent move to freeze $12 billion of Venezuela's assets (over a dispute about Venezuela's 60% share in its own oil revenues--Exxon Mobil's move is stage one of this war: destabilization), the Miama/CIA "suitcase full of money" caper (aimed at "divide and conquer" of Venezuela-Argentina), the Bush/U.S. attempted sabotage of the release of FARC hostages in Colombia which Chavez has negotiated (--an event that bodes well for peace in Colombia's 40+ year civil war--a war stoked by billions in military aid from Bush/U.S. to the fascist government of Colombia), and other events pointing to the REASONS for all the propaganda and disinformation about Chavez, Morales, Correa and others.

This is a coordinated, intentional war campaign to regain global corporate predator control of the Andes oil fields and other resources. Venezuela and Ecuador are members of OPEC, and have lots and lots of oil. Bolivia has some oil, but mostly gas. And there was a recent big oil find in Argentina. These governments are strongly allied with each other, and are all leftist (majorityist) social justice governments. It's my guess that Rumsfeld/Bush will pick on the most vulnerable first--Bolivia--and use this rightwing landowner attempt to split up Bolivia (to prevent the gas/oil wealth from benefiting the poor), during the Constitution re-write process, as the excuse to intervene directly in the Andes region, and create a fascist enclave in Bolivia, from which to launch hostilities against the other countries, and, possibly, to draw Chavez and Venezuela into the fray, in defense of Bolivia and the Morales government. I think that's the plan. Exxon Mobil's move against Venezuela was to weaken Bolivia's strongest ally, as a preliminary to more hostile action. I think we're going to see Bush-instigated trouble in South America before the end of the year. And I find Hillary Clinton's stupid, uninformed, kneejerk categorization of Hugo Chavez as a "dictator" very disturbing in this regard. If she gets the nomination, are we going to see Clinton-McCain unity on destroying democracy in South America? Or, if Obama wins the nomination, are we going to see a situation of U.S. troops in peril on the ground in South America, and demonization of Obama cuz he doesn't wear a U.S. flag lapel pin?

"Swift action" in support of "friends and allies" in South America. That's what Rumsfeld says. We--and the world--were mind-boggled by what he did in Iraq. And are we about to be mind-boggled again, by what he is capable of doing in his "retirement"? I fear so. And I feel that the American people are as unprepared for this--uninformed, un-warned--as they were for Iraq--due, of course, to the lies and disinformation that our war profiteering corporate 'news' monopolies promulgate about South America, echoed by more than half the Democratic Party leadership.

For the uninformed, I recommend the following as a start on understanding this situation: www.venezuelanalysis.com, the Irish filmmakers' documentary "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (available at YouTube and at www.axisoflogic.com), and www.BoRev.net (itself--and its many informative links).

[Judi Lynn]

3. Glad you bring up Joe Serrano. He has impeccable positioning on Latin America.

He also made arrangements with the Venezuelan government, one of the first Congressmen, who, after approaching U.S. based oil companies for emergency winter discounts on heating oil for his poorer constituents was handed his hat, and told to avoid letting the door hitting his ass on the way out.

He has arranged two or three years of important, deep discounts for the poor in the South Bronx, who are clearly grateful.

Looking forward to getting back to read the speech you've linked.



The Bolivian vote is moving up quickly, in May.

Hillary Clinton's brother, Hugh Rodham, married a Cuban "exile" in Miami who was useful to the campaigns of Bill Clinton, living in the bosom, apparently, of the reactionary Cuban "exile" faction which has controlled the Cuban community through unbelievable coersion and intimidation all these years, enforcing the views of the original Batista-serving "exiles" who always have been steeped in the slave-holding, plantation owning, European conquerer and tyrant of the Western Hemisphere attitude. They are extreme racists and homophobes, and politically, socially inflexible.

That community has always supported the worst, most violent right-wing dictators in Latin America. South Florida is the place where a lot of the oligarchy throughout Central and South America keep additional homes, and finally retire when things get too rough for them in their own countries, due to their exploitative, violent abuse of the citizens. Lots of former death squad leaders and participants, heads of small right-wing armies, and dictators, are, themselves, living there.

These are the people Hillary's sister-in-law appears to see as her kind of folks, via her total association with the "exiles." They would be the ones whose opinions she would court, apparently, which is not one damned bit more evolved, or educated than _{George W. Bush} or his brother, _Jeb, or his _father. Pity. Just the kind of ignorance, and violent streak you don't want to see in a U.S. President.