Bolivia- September 19th Update
UNASUR EMERGENCY MEETING
In response to the crisis in Bolivia, an emergency meeting of nine Union of Nations of South America (UNASUR) Presidents was convened on Monday September 15th in Santiago, Chile. The meeting was a success for Bolivia and for UNASUR itself, reflecting a changing balance of power in the hemisphere. The call for a UNASUR, rather than an OAS meeting, effectively excluded the United States from participating.
A clear, firm statement was issued, recognizing the commitment to democracy in Bolivia, affirming the mandate of President Morales, especially in light of the recent Referendum, condemning the massacre in Pando, the ongoing violence and the takeover and destruction of public offices. UNASUR also agreed to create a commission of “aid to the government of Bolivia” to accompany the process of dialogue.
Chilean President Bachelet, the president pro tem of UNASUR read the final declaration. She likened the present situation in Bolivia to what people in Chile experienced 35 years ago when United States orchestrated a coup against democratically elected Salvador Allende. President Uribe from Colombia, who shortened his U.S. visit in order to participate in the meeting, signed the final declaration. President Lula from Brazil, one of the most important participants in the meeting only agreed to participate if all parties in Bolivia would agree to come to the table. He is viewed with respect by all parties in the dispute in Bolivia.
In an interview with the press in Brazil on Wednesday, Lula justified Bolivia’s expulsion of Ambassador Goldberg stating, “If it is true that the Ambassador of the United States was meeting with the opposition leaders, getting involved in internal affairs, President Morales is doing the correct thing by expelling him”. Lula went on to say, that the famous interference of the U.S. Embassies during critical moments throughout the history of the American continent is not something new”. He pledged to help Bolivia get rid of armed groups in the department of Pando, and assist in other ways to reduce the possibility of further violence in that region.
DIALOGUE PROCESS
The dialogue process in Bolivia was scheduled to begin on Thursday morning, September 18th just outside of Cochabamba. Initially, some Governors refused to meet unless Governor Fernandez, under arrest as the intellectual author of the massacre in Pando, is released from custody. This demand was eventually withdrawn, and the dialogue began as scheduled. President Morales attended the first session, which lasted about 6 hours, and requested that the dialogue continue uninterrupted until an agreement could be reached, even if that took 4 or 5 days.
Other government officials participating in the dialogue process include the Vice-President, three government ministers, the Governors of eight of the provinces, the Presidents of the Senate and the Lower House. Representatives of four important political parties in Congress are also participating: Movement towards Socialism (MAS), Social and Democratic Power (PODEMOS), National Unity (UN), and the National Movement of Revolutionaries (MNR). Representatives of the group of “Governments which are Friends of Bolivia” including Brazil, Argentina and Colombia as well as representatives from the Catholic, Methodist and Evangelical Churches are present. Delegates from UNASUR, the Organization of American States and the UN are acting as facilitators.
The principal issues being discussed include; autonomy for the provinces, the new Constitution, disbursement of resources from the Hydrocarbon Taxes and decisions about filling judicial vacancies.
WATCHING AND WAITING
Campesinos, workers and miners have mobilized and are making their presence felt in critical places. In Santa Cruz, Expocruz, an important annual fair was to begin today however thousands of workers and campesinos have set up blockades on at least five of the roads leading into Santa Cruz. Four of the blockades have been in place since last Tuesday. Some of the groups are demanding that the institutions which have been occupied by the right wing in Santa Cruz be returned, and damages be paid for. Others are demanding that all must agree to approve the new Constitution as part of the dialogue process. Their presence is impacting Expocruz. Local newspapers report that 45 companies have withdrawn their participation in the fair. In Cochabamba groups have also mobilized in support of the President, seeking to exert their own influence on the negotiations.
The President of the Committee for Santa Cruz, Branko Maronkovic, cited these popular occupations to the press today as further examples of the way Evo Morales has acted against the Bolivian people and part of the violence provoked by his party (MAS). He also claimed that the National Democratic Council of Bolivia (CONALDE) was willing to participate in the dialogue process. At the same time, Marinkovic will be travelling to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay to “denounce the violence which the MAS has provoked in Pando, the threats being used during the process of dialogue in Cochabamba, and the involvement of the Venezuelan military in the blockades in Santa Cruz.” On this trip, he will also promote the autonomy process for Santa Cruz, which he claims has been carried out with legal and legitimate methods.
A spokesperson for the President made the following statement: “In Bolivia, we say that we are accustomed to the fact that our conflicts take us to the edge of the cliff, before we begin to dialogue. I think this is what is happening right now”.