anoninnyc
26-09-2007, 03:38 PM
I watched him on the Daily Show last night. Didn't even know who he was until then!
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/18/america/bolivia.php
Bolivia's president surprises many with his staying power
By Simon Romero
Published: September 18, 2007
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COCHABAMBA, Bolivia: Evening newscasts speak of a country on the verge of balkanization. La Paz and Sucre dispute which city should be the capital. Santa Cruz, in the east, clamors for autonomy. The governor of the province encompassing this bustling city in the Andes has called on President Evo Morales to resign.
But Morales, the first Indian to govern Bolivia since the Spanish conquest more than four centuries ago, knows a thing or two about unrest, having organized protests for years as the leader of the country's cocaleros, or coca cultivators, who fiercely resist American efforts to eradicate their crops.
"Step into my office," said Morales, at the start of an interview at 5:45 a.m. on a Friday. He opened the door to a barren room in a decaying building here that houses the Federación del Trópico, which represents coca-leaf growers from the jungles of central Bolivia. When in Cochabamba, where he also keeps a modest home, he conducts presidential affairs from this office.
Morales's work habits, inspired by the coca farmer's custom of rising before dawn, have not changed since he became president in January 2006.
For all the worries that Morales's radicalism would create economic and political turmoil in Bolivia, the reality of his tenure appears to be that the country is surprisingly stable. Social divisions and poverty remain difficult problems, but Morales has surprised many, including some in the business community, with his staying power.
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When asked about Bolivia's political instability, for example, he replies with an economist's precision.
"One of the most ferocious debates in my cabinet is whether we should spend part of our foreign currency reserves," he said, explaining how these reserves had more than doubled to about $4 billion since he entered office. In a nod to economic orthodoxy, Morales said, "I don't want to for now."
Bolivia remains the poorest country in South America, with about 60 percent of the population of 9.1 million mired in deep poverty, making such debates crucial.
Morales has surprised even skeptics with the results of his policies, especially those in the energy sector following the nationalization of the petroleum industry last year.
Feared as a radical move, the nationalization was in effect largely a renegotiation of terms with foreign energy companies that have stayed in Bolivia, attracted by the country's bountiful natural gas reserves.
Revenue from oil and natural gas climbed to 13.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2006 from 5 percent in 2004, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington.
That boost has placed Bolivia on its most enviable economic footing in years, with growth of about 4 percent expected this year.
Economists say coca, too, is lifting Bolivia's economy, with traffic climbing to neighboring Brazil.
With a touch of irony, the urban upper classes, many of whom remain explicitly critical of Morales, are benefiting from the newfound stability and economic vibrancy.
With a cocalero in power, cocalero activists no longer shut the main highway from Santa Cruz, thus enabling the province's exports to reach important markets. Similarly, parts of the southern area of La Paz are prospering as builders rush to meet demand for comfortable apartment buildings. Here in Cochabamba, a new $6 million Cineplex cinema, which seems plucked from suburban California, illustrates how investors are pouring money into projects.
On the political front, critics say Morales is tilting toward authoritarianism, with rough verbal treatment of opponents and a proposal by supporters to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely. And some policies seem erratic and inspired by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, like his moves this month to establish diplomatic ties with Iran while announcing visa requirements for American visitors.
Morales defends alliances with Venezuela and Cuba, saying their aid differs from that of the United States by not requiring conditions like coca eradication. (He remains the leader of the Federación del Trópico, saying he will return to growing coca when his presidency ends.)
For now, Morales seems at ease after attaining the highest approval ratings of any president in recent memory. He shoos away advisers and bodyguards, preferring to conduct the interview alone. He jokes about efforts to improve his swing in frontón, a sport similar to racquetball that is beloved by Bolivians.
"We're creating another way of doing government, but it has not been easy," Morales said as the sun rose above Cochabamba. "The challenges seem to arise every day."
And he chafes at criticism from Bolivia's light-skinned elite. Even as president, he said, he still suffers from discrimination, pointing to snubs and insults from the business community in Santa Cruz, a bastion of opposition to his government.
"I thought that by getting to the presidential palace I could end discrimination," he said, remembering how his mother was prevented from entering the plaza of Oruro when Morales was a teenager growing up in that city. "I realize now that the decolonization of our society will take longer than expected."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/18/america/bolivia.php
Bolivia's president surprises many with his staying power
By Simon Romero
Published: September 18, 2007
E-Mail Article
Listen to Article
Printer-Friendly
3-Column Format
Translate
Share Article
Text Size
COCHABAMBA, Bolivia: Evening newscasts speak of a country on the verge of balkanization. La Paz and Sucre dispute which city should be the capital. Santa Cruz, in the east, clamors for autonomy. The governor of the province encompassing this bustling city in the Andes has called on President Evo Morales to resign.
But Morales, the first Indian to govern Bolivia since the Spanish conquest more than four centuries ago, knows a thing or two about unrest, having organized protests for years as the leader of the country's cocaleros, or coca cultivators, who fiercely resist American efforts to eradicate their crops.
"Step into my office," said Morales, at the start of an interview at 5:45 a.m. on a Friday. He opened the door to a barren room in a decaying building here that houses the Federación del Trópico, which represents coca-leaf growers from the jungles of central Bolivia. When in Cochabamba, where he also keeps a modest home, he conducts presidential affairs from this office.
Morales's work habits, inspired by the coca farmer's custom of rising before dawn, have not changed since he became president in January 2006.
For all the worries that Morales's radicalism would create economic and political turmoil in Bolivia, the reality of his tenure appears to be that the country is surprisingly stable. Social divisions and poverty remain difficult problems, but Morales has surprised many, including some in the business community, with his staying power.
Today in Americas
Bush vows to tighten sanctions on Myanmar
As the front-runner, Clinton defines Democratic presidential contest
Marxist guerrilla group shows signs of resurgence in Mexico
When asked about Bolivia's political instability, for example, he replies with an economist's precision.
"One of the most ferocious debates in my cabinet is whether we should spend part of our foreign currency reserves," he said, explaining how these reserves had more than doubled to about $4 billion since he entered office. In a nod to economic orthodoxy, Morales said, "I don't want to for now."
Bolivia remains the poorest country in South America, with about 60 percent of the population of 9.1 million mired in deep poverty, making such debates crucial.
Morales has surprised even skeptics with the results of his policies, especially those in the energy sector following the nationalization of the petroleum industry last year.
Feared as a radical move, the nationalization was in effect largely a renegotiation of terms with foreign energy companies that have stayed in Bolivia, attracted by the country's bountiful natural gas reserves.
Revenue from oil and natural gas climbed to 13.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2006 from 5 percent in 2004, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington.
That boost has placed Bolivia on its most enviable economic footing in years, with growth of about 4 percent expected this year.
Economists say coca, too, is lifting Bolivia's economy, with traffic climbing to neighboring Brazil.
With a touch of irony, the urban upper classes, many of whom remain explicitly critical of Morales, are benefiting from the newfound stability and economic vibrancy.
With a cocalero in power, cocalero activists no longer shut the main highway from Santa Cruz, thus enabling the province's exports to reach important markets. Similarly, parts of the southern area of La Paz are prospering as builders rush to meet demand for comfortable apartment buildings. Here in Cochabamba, a new $6 million Cineplex cinema, which seems plucked from suburban California, illustrates how investors are pouring money into projects.
On the political front, critics say Morales is tilting toward authoritarianism, with rough verbal treatment of opponents and a proposal by supporters to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely. And some policies seem erratic and inspired by President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, like his moves this month to establish diplomatic ties with Iran while announcing visa requirements for American visitors.
Morales defends alliances with Venezuela and Cuba, saying their aid differs from that of the United States by not requiring conditions like coca eradication. (He remains the leader of the Federación del Trópico, saying he will return to growing coca when his presidency ends.)
For now, Morales seems at ease after attaining the highest approval ratings of any president in recent memory. He shoos away advisers and bodyguards, preferring to conduct the interview alone. He jokes about efforts to improve his swing in frontón, a sport similar to racquetball that is beloved by Bolivians.
"We're creating another way of doing government, but it has not been easy," Morales said as the sun rose above Cochabamba. "The challenges seem to arise every day."
And he chafes at criticism from Bolivia's light-skinned elite. Even as president, he said, he still suffers from discrimination, pointing to snubs and insults from the business community in Santa Cruz, a bastion of opposition to his government.
"I thought that by getting to the presidential palace I could end discrimination," he said, remembering how his mother was prevented from entering the plaza of Oruro when Morales was a teenager growing up in that city. "I realize now that the decolonization of our society will take longer than expected."