U.S. & Bolivia: What's Old is New Again

(digitalwarriormedia) Relations between Bolivia and the United States ended on a sour note in 2009, as President Obama failed to re-instate trade preferences for the Andean nation and a Bolivian politician escaped arrest by fleeing to the U.S.

These most recent events have widened the rift between the two nations and could jeopardize the normalization of bilateral relations which were stalled in September 2008.

Not so Free Trade

President Obama followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, George W. Bush, by extending the suspension of Bolivia’s participation in a program made possible by the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). The ATPDEA grants duty-free preferences to exports from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia – encouraging trade in exchange for cooperation with combating drug production and trafficking.

On December 28, Obama signed a bill that extended trade preferences for all participating countries - except Bolivia - until December 31, 2010.

According to the White House, Bolivia must improve anti-drug trafficking cooperation with the U.S. before it can benefit from ATPDEA.

Bolivian President Evo Morales and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera criticized Obama for his position.

Last week during a press conference at the Presidential Palace, Morales said, “Unfortunately it was thought that with the accession to power of President Barack Obama, that relations...would change, when in fact it has not happened."

Morales called Obama’s actions a “political vendetta by an Administration that does not accept that a small country defends its sovereignty and expels an ambassador that meddled in {its} internal affairs."

Bolivia’s trade preferences were initially suspended by President Bush in 2008 just months after Morales expelled U.S. Ambassador Phillip Goldberg - a move prompted by Goldberg’s meeting with opposition leaders in the city of Santa Cruz. The U.S. expelled Bolivia’s Ambassador Gustavo Guzman in response.

Bilateral relations remained at an all-time low between the two nations until Obama’s election breathed new life into the prospect of a U.S. policy shift towards Bolivia.

Following high-level meetings in both Washington and La Paz, it appeared that broken diplomatic ties were close to being reinstated.

But Obama’s recent decision, coupled with the arrival of political leader Manfred Reyes Villa on U.S. soil in mid-December, further complicates the U.S-Bolivia relationship.

Harboring Another Bolivian “Refugee”

On Thursday, Bolivia’s Interior Minister Alfredo Rada confirmed that Manfred Reyes Villa – the former governor of Cochabamba - crossed into Peru on December 14th. The following day Reyes Villa boarded a plane from Lima to the U.S.

An arrest warrant was issued for Manfred Reyes Villa on grounds of tax evasion and election fraud, involving 11 counts of corruption during his term as governor of Cochabamba.

His attorney, Daniel Humerez, has denounced the latest verdict as a "politicized" investigation, said PressTV.

Most recently Reyes Villa ran in the presidential elections held on December 6. He was the second most popular presidential candidate, taking 27% of the vote in contrast to Morales’ 64%.
He was also a member of CONALDE (National Democratic Council) a group of political and civic leaders that strongly opposed the central government.

In the days leading up the national elections, Bolivian media widely published rumors that he had booked airline tickets destined to the U.S. According to reports, he was set to depart the day after the elections. Reyes Villa vehemently denied the rumors.

However, just shortly after the election, Reyes Villa supposedly went into hiding and was not seen in public. In November, when formal charges were brought against him, a judge ruled that Reyes Villa was not permitted to leave Bolivia.

He was removed from office as the governor of Cochabamba in August 2007 during a recall referendum vote. The ex-military officer has been widely criticized for his participation with the School of the Americas (SOA) – now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation - in Fort Benning, GA.

Reyes Villa’s whereabouts in the U.S. are unknown.

There are three other Bolivian fugitives living in the U.S., wanted by the Morales administration on charges of genocide for the massacre of 67 and wounding of over 400 in October 2003. Former Bolivian president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada (Goni) and two of his deputies - Jorge Berindoague Alcocer and Carlos Sanchez Berzain - fled Bolivia for the U.S. Currently Goni resides in Chevy Chase, MD.

In 2008, the Morales administration filed extradition requests so that Goni and his former ministers can stand trial in Bolivian court. The Bush administration ignored the extradition requests and to date, the U.S. has made no movement on the matter.

Dignity and Sovereignty

On Monday Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera said Bolivia plans to normalize relations with the U.S. but that it requires a new mindset among America’s leadership who must understand Bolivia’s rights to sovereignty, self-determination and development.

"If (the White House) maintains this attitude, it is likely that this cooling of relations is maintained longer," said Garcia Linera indicating that international diplomatic ties must be based on mutual respect of sovereignty.

During the fall of last year, Foreign Minister David Choquehuanaca forecasted that U.S.-Bolivia relations would normalize in December 2009. Instead last month’s developments are derailing this delicate process as trade and the extradition of Bolivian nationals are two main pillars upon which any acceptable agreement with the U.S. would stand.

Photos: ABI and Telesur

Morales’ Mandate for Change Wins

(digitalwarriormedia) LA PAZ – It was another day of history-making for Bolivia on Sunday as voters delivered an overwhelming victory to incumbent President Evo Morales Ayma. Preliminary results show Morales winning re-election with 63% of the national vote and his Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party claiming a majority in both houses of Bolivia’s Congress.

The second place presidential candidate Manfred Reyes Villa of the Progress Plan for Bolivia party gained almost 28% of the national vote. And only 6% of the electorate voted for Samuel Doria Medina of the National Unity party.

MAS won 25 seats in the 36-member Chamber of Departmental Representatives (Senate) and 88 seats in the 130-member Chamber of Deputies (House of Representatives). With a majority in the Executive and Legislature, MAS has a greater chance to advance its social agenda over the next five years. Morales and his Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera will remain in office until 2012.

More than 5.1 million Bolivians voted – 4,969,423 in-country and another 169,096 in Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the United States. Of those voting abroad, almost 70% voted for President Morales.

Residents also voted in the departments of Cochabamba, La Paz, Potosi, Oruro, Chuquisaca and the El Chaco region on autonomy referendums. The referendums passed overwhelmingly from 73% in Oruro to 80% in La Paz and El Chaco. Bolivia’s other four departments (Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija) were excluded from holding autonomy referendums since these departments held unsanctioned votes for regional autonomy in 2006.

Numbers are based upon exit polls. Official results from the National Electoral Court (CNE) have yet to be confirmed.

Voting Day Observations

Walking around La Paz, the streets were empty as restrictions on vehicles eliminated the usual rush of city traffic. Polls were open for eight hours throughout the country from 8 am until 5 pm. In Bolivia, voting is obligatory and elections take place on Sunday. Businesses close and due to government restrictions on vehicles, most cars remain off the streets.

Communities come together to vote at local schools where entire families congregate. Children vote with their parents and families bring along their pets. Impromptu food stands pop up outside of polling sites where local residents use the time to earn a little extra money.

At a polling station in the Sopacachi area of La Paz, voters had a varied range of opinions. Some supported the democratic process and believed the government’s economic and social programs were improving the country. Others expressed concern about a clear MAS majority.

Each person who spoke on the issue of autonomy felt that it was a positive reform for Bolivia’s departments. It would allow local representatives greater control to govern fiscal resources.

Departmental autonomy has been one of the most intense issues within Bolivia in recent years. It became a cause célèbre for those opposed to the central government in La Paz and a force for violent conflict within the country during 2006.

Peace and Transparency

Overall over 4,200 international and national observers were on hand for Sunday’s vote. Around 300 international observers arrived in Bolivia from organizations such as the European Union, Organization of American States (OAS), Mercosur and the Carter Center.

At a press conference Sunday evening, international and national observers were in agreement that the day was calm and the voting process was transparent and without irregularities.

“I have complete confidence in the electoral court and the results of the vote,” said Dr. Roshina, head of the Mission of Observers from Mercosur.

The Carter Center - based in Atlanta, GA - sent 18 international observers. A team of observers were in Bolivia in January 2009 to observe the national constitutional referendum vote. The Carter Center has held a field office in La Paz since 2007 and has been involved in democracy-building projects in Bolivia since 2002.

According to Dr. Jennifer McCoy – head of the Carter Center mission – preliminary reports from observers in the departments of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and La Paz indicate that Sunday’s vote was calm, without any irregularities.

“All the reports we’ve received so far have been positive. Overall it was a peaceful day and orderly,” said Dr. McCoy. “We’re still waiting to get all the reports from our observers and other observers to give a full review, but up until now it seems to have gone fairly well.”

Sunday’s election was the first time that the Bolivian government used a new biometric voter registration system. From August 1 to October 15, more than 5 million voters were registered using a highly sophisticated system that cataloged digital photographs and fingerprints for each potential voter into a database.

One of several challenges facing the Morales government is how to implement departmental autonomy and provisions within the nation’s new constitution that was passed in January. Right now the question remains whether or not MAS will have the numbers necessary to push their agenda through Congress over the next five years.

“What will be important as well is to look at the Congress - both chambers, the upper and lower chambers,” explained Dr. McCoy about the level of pluralism that may characterize the near future of Bolivia’s Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

“Does the MAS - the governing party- win a simple majority? Does it win a two-thirds majority that gives it more leeway to pass by itself organic laws or proposals to reform the Constitution?” asked McCoy. “Those are the questions that we need to wait and see the official results.”

MAS Support

Previously the opposition claimed that Morales was polarizing the country. His attention to the poor, indigenous majority was causing divisions within the country. However at each opportunity, Morales’ support has intensified.

In a recall referendum held in August 2008 in which voters could accept or reject Morales and their departmental governors, Morales won nationally by 67 percent. In contrast, Cochabambinos voted Manfred Reyes Villa out of the Cochabamba governor’s office by a 2:1 margin.

These numbers demonstrate is that even if the opposition had been able to pull together a united front, Morales and MAS possess a high level of support among the majority of Bolivia’s population.

Morales started his day voting in the department of Cochabamba but returned to La Paz on Sunday evening to address thousands of supporters who crowded into the Plaza Murillo.

From the balcony of the Governmental Palace, Morales thanked the people of Bolivia for their participation, stating that now the president and vice president have five more years to serve the people.

"We have an enormous responsibility to Bolivia, but also to life and humanity, to deepen and accelerate the process of change."

Photos: Digital Warrior Media

Watching Another Transformative Moment in Bolivia

(digitalwarriormedia) LA PAZ – On a luminous, clear day in the heart of Bolivia’s capital city La Paz, people mingled about the streets on the eve of one of the most significant days in Bolivia’s recent history. Tranquilo is how Bolivians were describing the mood throughout the country as voters anticipate their national elections on Sunday, December 6.

In front of La Paz’s Departmental Electoral Court, drivers cued up by the hundreds, waiting to receive special permits that allow them to work on Election Day. Meanwhile electoral court employees handed out voter guides by the hundreds to pedestrians and vehicles passing by.

Voting stations will open on Sunday for the first national election since the passage of the nation’s new Constitution in January of this year. Voters will choose their next president, vice-president and representatives in both houses of Bolivia’s Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

In addition, within five of Bolivia’s departments (Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, La Paz, Oruro, and Potosi) and 12 municipalities, autonomy referendums will be held where voters can accept or reject greater sovereignty from the central government.

President Evo Morales and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera are polling at numbers above 55%, according to Telesur. However, local reports here in Bolivia have the incumbents polling at numbers above 60%. One driver who spoke with the Bolivia Transition Project while waiting in traffic on Avenida 16 de Julio said he expects Morales to win by 80%.

Several voters – from middle-class students to the masked shoe shiner – expressed their support for the government and the autonomy referendums. Autonomy that is inclusive, protects the unity of Bolivia and the rights of indigenous communities has wide support. But voters were critical of the separatist autonomy demonstrated in the past by Bolivia’s oligarchic elite.

One woman was pragmatic in her opinion of the current government. She said the changes taking place in Bolivia have both positive and negative effects, however most of the people were with Evo and she anticipated that the current government will win.

Meanwhile, opposition parties are continuing their charge that Sunday’s election will be marred by fraud. It is the first election in which a new biometric registration system will be used. A record number of 5.1 million voters were fingerprinted and photographed between August 1 and October 15. Sunday’s vote will put the new system to the test.

Around 300 international observers from the European Union (EU), Organization of American States (OAS) and the Carter Center will monitor voting sites throughout the country. The elections on December 6 will have the highest number of international observers ever to supervise an election in Bolivia.

The National Electoral Court, members of the Morales administration and international observers have noted the level of transparency in the upcoming election and dismissed the allegations of potential fraud.

On Sunday, the streets will be quiet as government regulations restrict vehicular travel on Election Day. But voting stations will be full of activity as the citizens of this poor, land-locked nation continue playing their part in an ongoing story that has the world watching the next transformative moment in Bolivia’s history.


Photos: Digital Warrior Media

CEPR Report: Bolivia - Strongest Economy in Hemisphere

Adapted from Bolivia: The Economy During the Morales Administration by Mark Weisbrot, Rebecca Ray, and Jake Johnston

Bolivia’s economic growth in the last four years has been higher than at any time in the last 30 years, averaging 4.9 percent annually since the current administration took office in 2006. The government has increased its control over natural resources and vastly increased its revenues, and effectively used expansionary fiscal policy to counter-act some of the negative impacts from the world economic downturn.

Projected GDP growth for 2009 is the highest in the hemisphere. Bolivia’s 2009 growth is all the more remarkable in view of the size and number of negative shocks to the economy. These included falling remittances, declining foreign investment, the United States’ revocation of trade preferences, declining export prices and markets for part of the year and other impacts of the global recession.

Since 2004, government revenue has risen by almost 20 percentage points of GDP. Most of this increase came as a result of an increase in the government’s revenue from hydrocarbons, due to increased royalty payments, the Morales’ government’s re-nationalization of the industry, and price increases.

In the last three years the government has begun several programs targeted at the poorest Bolivians. These include payments to poor families to increase school enrollment; an expansion of public pensions to relive extreme poverty among the elderly; and most recently, payments for uninsured mothers to expand prenatal and post-natal care, to reduce infant and child mortality.

"The Bolivian economy has done very well under President Evo Morales, and government policy has been key. These economic gains are a big part of the reason he is favored to win re-election by a wide margin," said Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. and lead author of the report.

"None of this would have been possible without the government's regaining control of the country's natural resources," he added.

Click here to read the entire report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research

In The Final Days of the Campaign

(digitalwarriormedia) LA PAZ - With just three days remaining before Bolivia's national election, a reversal by the National Electoral Court (CNE) on Monday has ensured that hundreds of thousands of citizens will be able to vote this coming Sunday.

A previous ruling was set to keep 400,671 Bolivians from voting unless they presented birth certificates to the Civil Registry by today, but Monday's decision automatically re-instated 236,864 voters.

Yesterday during a press conference at the Governmental Palace, President Evo Morales expressed his satisfaction with the CNE’s decision, stating that it was in the interest of democracy.

When asked about allegations from the opposition about the potential for voter fraud, Morales dismissed these claims. “This is an attitude of pessimism and non participation,” said Morales.

He expressed his optimism for Sunday’s vote, saying he expects his Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party to win between 24 and 27 senators in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

Last night Morales and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera closed the MAS campaign in the city of Santa Cruz - one of the strongholds of anti-Morales sentiment.

Tens of thousands filled the Parque Urbano to support Morales in a city where violent attacks against MAS supporters have prevented Morales from traveling to this city in the past.

Tonight,MAS will close its campaign in the city of El Alto in the Department of La Paz. It is a fast-growing city on the Altiplano above the capital city of La Paz.

Los Alteños are ardent supporters of Morales. The city is filled with Bolivians - many campesinos -who have migrated from other parts of the country in search of work and opportunity.

Morales is expected to take more than 70% of the vote in the La Paz department on Sunday. Polls continue to show Morales gaining at least 60 percent of the vote.

More than 5.1 million people are registered to vote, the highest number in Bolivian history. Sunday’s elections will determine Bolivia’s president, vice president and representatives in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

Live From La Paz: A Pre-Election Analysis

(digitalwarriormedia) LA PAZ - Unlike previous votes observed by the Bolivia Transition Project since 2006 – the streets seem relatively quiet – few flyers are being distributed on the sidewalks; banners and posters sparsely adorn the streets around the capital city of La Paz.

Other than the crush of people lined up outside of the Departmental Court and those crowding around voter lists on El Prado - there are few indications that a major election is just around the corner.

It is already expected that President Evo Morales and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera will easily win a second term. Recent poll numbers indicate that Morales may win by anywhere from 55-63%.

Although polls can be taken with a degree of skepticism, if these numbers are any indication of the reality that awaits on December 6, Morales may win by a larger margin than his victory in December 2005 when he won by 53.7% - the greatest margin in Bolivia’s democratic history.

The unknown factor of Sunday’s vote is how well the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party will fare as voters cast ballots for their legislative representatives in the Bolivian Congress. Supporters warn that if MAS loses representation, the reforms initiated over the last four years will be in jeopardy.

Officially renamed the Plurinational Legislative Assembly by the country’s new Constitution – the lawmaking body consists of a Chamber of Deputies (130 representatives) and a Chamber of Departmental Representatives (36 representatives).

Majority Gains

MAS is seeking control over both chambers of the Plurinational Assembly. A two-thirds majority win by MAS would be a significant blow to the opposition’s ability to resist Morales and MAS.

While speaking before a crowd of 100,000 supporters in the city of Cochabamba on Monday, Morales said, “In this campaign we’re looking for the highest number of representatives in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly”.

Blazing the campaign trail throughout the country’s nine departments, Morales and Garcia Linera readily share the stage with local MAS representatives. They stress the importance of a MAS victory on Sunday to guarantee “el proceso del cambio” (the process of change) taking place in Bolivia.

Morales criticized voters who would make use of the “cross-ballot” which allows voters to vote for their Executive and Legislative representatives from different parties. He called on all of his supporters to vote for the MAS slate.

During the last four years, reforms that passed the MAS-controlled House were readily blocked by the opposition-controlled Senate. Conflicts within the chambers over large-scale reforms - such as the passing of the Constitution and the electoral law that paved the way for Sunday’s election - were marred on both sides by boycotts, lockouts, hunger strikes and at times fisticuffs.

And while MAS promises the passage of 100 new laws to support implementation of the new Constitution, opposition parties reject a number of pillars of the MAS platform, including provisions made within the nation’s new Charter.

Of Things to Come

The last four years have been characterized by a degree of compromise on the part of Morales and the Congress in attempts to get reform legislation passed. One of Morales’ greatest personal concessions was a guarantee that he will not run for re-election in 2015 if he wins a second term this December.*

But beyond Sunday’s election and its outcome, a two-thirds majority by MAS in the Executive and Legislative branches of government would change MAS’s emphasis from a struggle against the opposition to highlighting if MAS can effectively govern and implement proposed reforms.

In the United States, Democrats control the House, Senate and Presidency only to be characterized by some as possessing a high level of ineffectiveness and impotence.

If voters deliver to MAS majority control and thus exceptional political power – MAS will have a new fight on its hands – one that will resist the trappings of power and continue governing in the interest of the Bolivian people.

Grassroots political participation is a deep facet of life in this poor nation where a political voice is the greatest asset for many citizens. And as with all investments, there are unknown risks.

Sunday’s vote holds out a number of challenges. Whether MAS gains or loses seats in the Plurinational Assembly there will be different unintended consequences for a party that rose to power championing the demands of Bolivia’s campesinos and social organizations.

*Technically under the new Constitution, Morales’ first term (Jan 2006- Jan 2010) would not legally preclude him from seeking re-election in another 5 years. The opposition insisted that Morales not seek another term or risk that passage of the Constitution would be stalled indefinitely.

Photos: Digital Warrior Media

Bolivians Race to Guarantee the Vote

(digitalwarriormedia) LA PAZ – Six days remain before Bolivia’s national elections on December 6 and the immediate hot button issue is the National Electoral Court’s (CNE) decision to “suspend” the voting rights of just over 400,000 individuals.

Last week the CNE ruled that 400,671 citizens would not be allowed to vote unless they matched their voter records by presenting a copy of their birth certificate to the Civil Registry by December 3.

Departmental electoral courts extended hours and worked over the weekend in an effort to confirm the registration of those affected before the deadline.

The CNE has drawn criticism from both the government and the opposition, but for distinctly different reasons.

The Morales administration and government supporters expressed concern over the possible disenfranchisement of voters - many of whom voted in previous elections without incident.

Meanwhile the opposition parties stated concern about election fraud and have demanded that these individuals be purged from the voter rolls altogether.

CNE Moves on Ruling

On Sunday, CNE president, Antonio Costa, responded to criticism from President Morales. At a press conference, Costa said the electoral body is “doing its job impartially” and will continue to do its job despite the avalanche of complaints against the electoral body.

Reports from the CNE and from electoral courts in the nine departments throughout Bolivia indicate that the number of those affected has already dropped by at least 120,000.

Firstly the CNE moved on its decision, exempting those born before 1943 when Bolivia did not regularly issue birth certificates, which immediately re-instated 50,000 voters.

And the CNE also exempted women who had been widowed or taken their husband’s surname. Many women were unfairly impacted, being identified as two different people due to confusion over their given and married name.

According to a CNE official, these are cases where the nation’s new biometric voter registration system has rejected individuals and incorrectly indicated that they are a different person.

Thousands headed to departmental offices since Thursday, offering documentation in support of their registration.

Roxana Ybarnegaray, head of public education for the CNE, said she anticipated that at least 50 percent of those affected would be confirmed to vote by the December 3 deadline.

While eight of the nine electoral courts have agreed to honor the controversial ruling, Chief Justice of Oruro, David Apaza, has refused to abide by a CNE decision that he considers a violation of fundamental individual rights.

Head of the Court of Pando, Jorge Valdez, expressed concern about rural areas where he believes many people are unaware of whether or not they will be able to vote. According to the CNE about 110,000 of those affected live in rural areas.

Election Transparency

President Evo Morales spent the weekend crisscrossing the country, attending campaign rallies for his Movement Toward Socialism party (MAS) in the departments of Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Potosi and Oruro.

During public statements made at the Governmental Palace and at campaign stops, Morales claimed the CNE was aiding the right-wing opposition. The president recalled the sacrifices made in the national budget in order to meet the opposition’s demands earlier this year to institute a new biometric registration system ahead of the December elections.

It is the implementation of this system that is creating registration problems at an unprecedented level in a country that has opened its electoral process to international observers for more than three decades.

A record number of 300 international observers from the European Union, Organization of American States (OAS) and the Carter Center will be on hand next Sunday to monitor Bolivia's national elections for president, vice president and representatives of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

Bolivian Court Ruling Rejects 400,000 Voters

(digitalwarriormedia) LA PAZ - Long lines snaked outside the Departmental Court of La Paz on Friday afternoon as hundreds of potential voters sought to verify their right to vote in the upcoming national elections on December 6.

Local papers report similar scenes throughout the country as thousands rush to the departmental courts in search of information and to clarify their voting status.

A ruling issued on Thursday by the National Electoral Court (CNE) determined that more than 400,000 voters lacked a birth certificate and thereby were not properly registered to vote. Citizens would be ineligible to cast their ballots unless they submit a copy of their birth certificate by December 3.

The ruling by the CNE has been criticized by the Morales administration, the opposition and the general public.

On Friday, MAS campaign spokesperson Jorge Silva called the move a violation of the constitution, stating that neither the Constitution nor electoral law support such a decision.

In a country where lack of official documentation has historically been a part of life, previously persons were able to use baptism certificates, military service records and identification cards from government-run programs.

Silva expressed concern that this ruling would fall unfairly upon those living in the rural areas - where obtaining documentation is more difficult - and for those born before 1940 when the government issued baptism certificates instead of birth certificates.

CNE President Antonio Costas stood by the court’s decision stating that they have launched a project to swiftly match citizens and their birth certificates against the Civil Registry. Provisions will be made for those born before 1940.

With just over a week before the election and five days before the December 3 deadline, these assurances mean little to the 400,000 people in danger of being disenfranchised.

Social organizations have taken to the streets in protest. And the Morales administration threatened possible legal action to prevent the ruling from standing.

The upcoming presidential election will be the first time that Bolivia uses a new biometric voter registration program aimed at lessening chances of fraud. The new system was a firm demand of the opposition which refused to pass an electoral bill earlier this year without the implementation of a biometric voter standard.

From August 1 to October 15, the Bolivian government electronically registered more than 5.1 million voters. But the CNE’s ruling reduces that number to 4.7 million eligible voters. The final eligible voter count will not be known until three days before the election.


Photos: Digital Warrior Media

Goni, Going, Gone?

(digitalwarriormedia) A U.S. court of appeals ruled that former Bolivian president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada and one of his former deputies could face charges of genocide and crimes against humanity for their role in the deaths of 60 Bolivians in October 2003.

The ruling by the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida is a major victory for the victims of “Black October”.

The court upheld that plaintiffs have a viable claim against “Goni” and his former Defense Minister Carlos Sánchez Berzaín, according to a press release posted on Juicio a Goni ya.org (Justice For Goni).

The cases, Mamani, et al. v. Sánchez Berzaín, and Mamani, et al. v. Sánchez de Lozada, seek compensatory and punitive damages under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS).

Sánchez de Lozada and Sánchez Berzaín are accused of ordering and using deadly force during a military crackdown against a civilian demonstration in the city of El Alto. Residents of the city were protesting the Bolivian government’s export of natural gas to the United States through ports in Chile. At least 60 people were killed and 400 wounded.

“This judgment reaffirms that U.S. courts can hear actions brought against those who abuse human rights,” said Judith Brown Chomsky a cooperating attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights.

“It’s a powerful example of how international law is making it harder for those who violate human rights to escape accountability simply by fleeing to another country,” said James Cavallaro, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School and a Clinical Professor of Law.

Both men fled to the U.S. on October 17, 2003 as Goni resigned his presidency.
Agencia Boliviana de Información (ABI) reports that Miami federal judge, Adalberto Jordan, accepted three of the seven lawsuits filed by the victims.

And although the cases will proceed, requests by the Bolivian government to seek the extradition of Goni are still unresolved.

Earlier in the week, Bolivia’s Foreign Minister David Choquehuanaca announced that in December the U.S. will determine if an extradition request for Goni shall be honored, thereby allowing the former head of state to stand trial on Bolivian soil.

The extradition of Goni and his former deputy remains one of several complex issues that lie between the U.S. and Bolivian governments as both nations attempt to re-establish normal diplomatic relations.

Diplomatic Immunity?

Concerns abound that political connections to powerful players within the Obama Administration may hinder the accountability that victims’ families have been seeking for the past six years. Coming to Goni’s defense in the past are Arturo Valenzuela and Greg Craig.

On November 5, Arturo Valenzuela was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs. Previously Valenzuela – who served during the Clinton Administration - had tried to stop the civil suit against Sánchez de Lozada and Sánchez Berzaín’s.

Craig, a high-profile Washington attorney and partner at Williams & Connelly, served as one of Berzaín’s lawyers. He was White House counsel to President Obama until his abrupt resignation on Friday.

As time passes, justice for the perpetrators of “Black October” is getting closer. And despite the outcome, the results of this case will have far-reaching implications for the future prosecution of human rights violations within domestic and international law.

Photos: ABI, Juicio a Goni Ya, Minuto59

Rapproachement as Morales Challenges Obama

(digitalwarriormedia) A Bolivian delegation was in Washington D.C. last week to meet with U.S. State Department representatives as both countries negotiate a framework for reestablishing diplomatic ties.

It was the second meeting between the governments, whom have maintained fragile relations since the expulsion of their respective ambassadors in September 2008.

On Tuesday during a post-meeting press conference, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanaca told reporters, “We are close to reaching a framework agreement to achieve a constructive relationship."

Undersecretary for Democracy and International Affairs, Maria Otero called the ongoing talks a mechanism for seeking common ground in all areas of shared interest. “I am pleased with the progress,” said Otero, indicating that she looked forward to an agreement between the two countries in the near future.

The Bolivian government showed optimism for an improved relationship under the Obama administration. "Not everyone thinks alike. We all think differently. The challenge is to build good relations while accepting our differences," said Choquehuanca.

Despite these steps forward, Bolivia maintained its skepticism of U.S. policies within Bolivia and the Latin American region.

Over the weekend, President Morales rejected the military agreement signed between the U.S. and Colombia on Friday that grants the U.S. access to seven military bases and an increase of 1,400 personnel to fight local drug trafficking and “terrorists”.

Morales said this agreement is contrary to the progressive governments in South America and will not “guarantee security in the region.”

He questioned how President Obama could justify his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize while operating military bases in foreign countries such as Colombia. He criticized the U.S. supported military bases in Honduras that are empowering the coup instead of reinstating the democratically elected government.

Morales said Latin America is no longer “in the time of kings” and that “we cannot be in the time of American military bases.” He called on Obama to adjust the U.S. attitude towards Latin America as the region is living in a time of profound – yet democratic – change.

Nonetheless, while addressing specifically the meetings that took place in Washington, Morales expressed expectations that Bolivia and the U.S. will reach a “Draft Framework” and the normalization of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz in the coming months. "If the U.S. Embassy is meeting for diplomatic work and not for political work," said Morales, then his country can afford to have a U.S. embassy in Bolivia again.

The Bolivian government has long maintained that the U.S. meddled in Bolivia’s domestic affairs, even going as far as to operate an elite unit within Bolivia’s military and maintaining an "unofficial" office within the governmental palace in La Paz.

U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg was expelled in September 2008 following meetings held with the political opposition in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Morales declared Goldberg a “persona non grata” under suspicion that he was collaborating with opposition forces during a time of intense and sometimes violent political clashes. In retaliation, Bolivian Ambassador to the U.S. Gustavo Guzman was expelled.

Beyond normalizing diplomatic relations, other areas that will be addressed in the upcoming agreement are cooperation on drug trafficking and Bolivia’s status under the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). Bolivia’s trade benefits under ATPDEA were suspended by the Bush Administration in December 2008.

A U.S. delegation will travel to La Paz in November as talks on both sides continue.

Sources: ABI, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, MultiVu, Telesur

ALBA Abandons Greenback, Endorses Regional Commitments

(digitalwarriormedia)– The Seventh Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) Summit concluded on Saturday in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean signed a final declaration that supports the legitimate government of Honduras, creates a new regional currency and calls for respect for Mother Earth.

Hosted by Bolivia’s Evo Morales, the presidents attending ALBA were: Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua), prime ministers Roosevelt Skerrit (Dominica); Ralph Gonsalves (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines); and Baldwin Spencer (Antigua and Barbuda), as well as Vice President of the Council of Ministers Jose Ramon Machado (Cuba).

ALBA member countries invited delegations from Paraguay, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Russia to attend as summit observers.

ALBA was created in 2004, as an initiative between Cuba and Venezuela. The brain-child of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the regional bloc emerged as a trade alternative to the U.S.-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA or ALCA in Spanish).

In 2006, Bolivia’s Morales proposed the People’s Trade Agreement (PTA) – a treaty that is based upon cooperation and reciprocity with respect for the well being of people, their history and cultures. The PTA rejects the trade liberalization policies of the FTAA and is considered the cornerstone of trade agreements within ALBA.

Regional In(ter)dependence

In their declaration, the nine-nation bloc committed to greater regional economic integration and increased independence from U.S. trade influence, spearheaded by the creation of a regional currency - the Sistema Único de Compensación Regional (Unified System of Regional Compensation) or sucre.

The sucre will go into effect in 2010 and may eventually develop into a regional currency similar to the euro – enabling trade within the bloc as well as with non-member countries. It would be used in commercial exchanges between ALBA countries in order to gradually reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar.

When SUCRE was approved at an ALBA meeting in April, Chavez said, “This will help us to overthrow the dictatorship of the dollar, imposed on us from over there, from Bretton Woods."

The proposed compensation system will also establish a regional monetary council, central clearinghouse, and a regional reserve and emergency fund.

According to Bolivian Finance Minister Luis Arce, there are plans for the group to develop an import-export business (Alba Exim), an agriculture business (Alba Alimentos), and also an energy company.

Bloomberg reports Arce’s announcement that the companies will seek “sovereignty and the development of food security in all member countries.”

International Priorities

Leaders demanded the return of democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zalaya and resolved that ALBA members will deny any representatives of the de facto government to enter their respective countries.

The group approved new economic sanctions against the current government of Honduras led by Robert Micheletti. They called on the international community to reject the upcoming presidential election planned by the interim government in November.

Colombia's plan to extend use of its bases to the U.S. military was denounced."The government of Colombia must reconsider the installation of these military bases,” read the member statement, calling it a threat to the region's security.

ALBA member countries also unanimously adopted a special resolution to reject the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

President Morales called for the establishment of an "International Tribunal of Climate Justice" to hold rich countries responsible for paying damages that stemmed from their disproportionate consumption of fossil fuels.

A joint resolution from ALBA member countries will be taken to the summit on climate change that will be held in Copenhagen this December.

Including the Grassroots

One of ALBA's more unique features is the status permitted to social organizations of member countries.

During the Fifth ALBA Summit in 2007, members accepted a new organizational structure which created a space for the inclusion of social movements and grassroots participation in decision-making.

The revised ALBA model consists of a Council of ALBA Presidents, a Council of ALBA Ministers and a Council of Social Movements.

On Thursday, more than 700 delegates from social and indigenous movements across Latin America gathered for the First Summit of the ALBA Council of Social Movements, according to Cuba’s Radio Nuevitas.

Joined by representatives from 40 European, African and Asian countries, the social organizations met to draft priorities and guidelines on subjects such as climate change, autonomies, defense of the planet, and natural resources. Their recommendations were presented to heads of delegations from member countries on Saturday.

Thousands of social movement representatives joined in the summit’s closing ceremony at the Felix Capriles Stadium in Cochabamba where the final declaration was presented.

The most recent ALBA Summit was the fourth meeting held by the body this year. The next meeting is scheduled for December in Cuba.



Photos: ABI, Telesur

Bolivia....An Island of Economic Stability

(digitalwarriormedia) Three and a half years after the ascension of the Movement Toward Socialism party (MAS) and the election of President Evo Morales, state participation in the national economy has increased and the central government’s influence in private enterprises continues to rise.

According to Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera the state's participation in the national economy has grown three-fold.

"In 2005… the state {was} involved with 8 or 9% of the country's wealth. Today, in 2009, the Bolivian state, participates…with about 27% to 28% of the country's economy," Garcia Linera said in an interview with the Patria Nueva radio network on Sunday.

There are domestic and foreign business interests who caution that Bolivia’s economic approach is scaring off foreign investment. Private investment as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remains among the lowest in Latin America.

However Bolivia’s economic and fiscal policies - including greater state intervention - are shielding Bolivia’s economy during the global economic downturn.

Bolivia’s Economic Outlook

It is among the least developed countries in Latin America and poorest in per capita GDP, but under pressure of the current world credit crisis, Bolivia’s economy is faring better than other nations, even with inflation reaching almost 12% and a national unemployment rate at 7.5%.

Its economy grew over 6% last year and is likely to be among the few countries in the region to register positive growth in 2009, according to Moody's Investor Service. The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) forecasts 3% growth for Bolivia this year, with the International Monetary Fund predicting a more conservative 2.2% increase.

With $7.8 billion in foreign reserves - now close to 50% of GDP - and government savings that surpass 10% of GDP, Bolivia is “well-positioned to manage any foreseeable economic or financial challenges in the near future," said Gabriel Torres, a Moody's vice president and sovereign analyst for Bolivia.

One of the most significant policies impacting the health of government coffers was the passage of legislation that nationalized Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry in May 2006. This mandated a renegotiation of oil and gas contracts which drew higher royalties and taxes from multinational energy companies operating in Bolivia.

A boom in commodity prices, which brought higher revenues for hydrocarbon and mining exports, also drove the national current account balance into a financial surplus over the past three years, after years of substantial deficits. Last year, Bolivia’s exports reached a record $6.2 billion – with the caveat that this number was driven by high prices, not necessarily greater productivity.

Fiscal accounts are expected to deteriorate for 2009, as extensive drops in commodity prices continue this year. Bolivia’s economy is heavily dependent upon export of its commodities from its energy, mining and agriculture sectors. Almost 70%of Bolivian exports in 2008 were either natural gas or minerals (zinc, tin and silver).

There is also the significant drop in remittances from Bolivians working overseas. That number is expected to contract 50% from $1 billion in 2008 to around $500 million this year.

But there are still good economic indicators going into the 4th quarter of 2009.

In September Bolivia received a boost when Spain agreed to write off $80 million in debt. Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero said 60% will be cancelled outright and the remaining 40% deposited into a fund for education projects.

While in Madrid, President Morales met with executives of Spanish oil giant Repsol. And despite ongoing claims that Bolivia is scaring off private investment Repsol has indicated plans to boost its investments in Bolivia.

Also last month, both Moody’s and Fitch Ratings announced that Bolivia’s bond rating was being raised as debt levels remain low and political tension within the country has eased.

On Monday, Jindal Steel and Power began mining iron ore in Bolivia’s El Mutun mine, after initially securing rights in 2006. With reserves of 40 billion tons, El Mutun is one of the world’s biggest iron ore mines. Although small quantities will be exported for the next 4-5 years to neighboring countries such as Paraguay and Argentina, Jindal has committed $2.1 billion investment over the next 8 years to mine up to 20 billion tons and build a steel making facility.

With some of the greatest reserves of natural gas, iron ore and lithium in the world, Bolivians are well aware of the vast natural resources that fall within their national borders.

Over the weekend, President Morales pledged his resolve to continue the process of change taking place in Bolivia – driven largely by the country’s reclamation of its resources and a redistribution of national wealth into social programs.

"an issue ....specific to climate change"

UNITED NATIONS, September 22 – During a press conference at United Nations Headquarters this morning, Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma Of Bolivia declared that “capitalist lifestyles” were at the root of climate change problems, as he discussed key proposals to protect the environment and bring to justice those who contributed to pollution.

Evo Morales, says his country will push for the founding of an international "green" tribunal to punish nations, corporations and multinational companies that harm the environment.

.

"an issue ....specific to climate change" @ Yahoo! Video

"A climate change tribunal for the administration of justice must be created in order to discipline those who fail to recognize the error of their ways. This is why Copenhagen will be very interesting in terms of discussing such issues. This is an issue that is specific to climate change."

.

Morales' proposal is one of hundreds of contentious ideas still outstanding in the run-up to the December international climate change conference to be held in Copenhagen

In addition the global push to address man made changes to the weather-- Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Morales pledged on Monday to further develop the friendly cooperative relations between the two countries.

During his meeting with Morales, Hu said that thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, both countries have pushed forward bilateral relations in recent years, and cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, culture, education, science and technology and sports has produced fruitful results.

China attaches great importance to developing its friendly cooperative relations with Bolivia, and is ready to work with the Bolivian side to further develop relations between the two countries, he said.

The Chinese president put forth a four-point proposal on the further development of China-Bolivia relations.