The assumption of Evo Morales as president of Bolivia promises a
significant revamping of the country's political and economic
system. He is a popular leader with significant following among the
indigenous Bolivian population. He comes to power with an ambitious
program of development for this country. Bolivia's relationship
with the US and with international companies with interest in the
country's resources will be critical for his presidency. His visit
to China and his talks with Chinese leaders may be significant in
terms of achieving important commercial deals.
Morales, one of the founders of the Movement to Socialism (MAS)
party, first achieved national prominence in April 2000 when a
large international corporation was to take over the privatized
water works in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia's second largest
city. As a result of its increase in price, water would be out of
reach for the majority of the population. Through mass
demonstrations led by Morales the privatization scheme was defeated
and the country had a first taste of Morales' charisma and ability
to lead.
Morales led the cocalero movement, a group of coca leaf-growing
campesinos who are resisting the US's efforts to eradicate coca
from the country. Chewing coca leaves is an over 1,000 year old
Bolivian tradition. It has energizing effects, squelches hunger and
it is also an effective antidote against soroche, high altitude
sickness. Any hotel in the capital city of La Paz, located at an
altitude of 12,000 feet above sea level, offers newcomers coca-tea
as a normal way of dealing with high altitude effects.
The cultivation of coca leaves is the main livelihood for
indigenous Aymara and Quechua peoples. According to Morales, to
eliminate coca leaves production is also to eliminate the Aymaras,
Quechua and Guaranies indigenous peoples.
Morales insists that although he favors the exploitation of coca
leaves for religious, medicinal and other popular uses, he opposes
the conversion of coca leaves into cocaine. He says that under his
administration there will be "zero cocaine, zero drug trafficking
but not zero coca." He states that the solution to the drug problem
should be at the demand, not at the supply level, and says that US
eradication efforts carried out so far in Bolivia have not had any
effect on cocaine use in the US. He has offered the White House the
formation of a common front against cocaine and drug
trafficking.
Bolivia's new president has vowed that the country's vast
natural resources will be exploited for the country's own
development. Part of his aim is to renegotiate the contracts with
international companies that are exploiting Bolivia's natural
resources in terms more favorable to the indigenous population.
Under current conditions, private international companies have
practically complete control over the production and sale of oil
and gas, and pay only 18 percent royalties and no taxes, a
situation widely considered abusive.
Bolivia has the second largest natural gas reserves in Latin
America and is also rich in silver, tin and other minerals. In
spite of that, 63 percent of the population lives below the poverty
line. Bolivia has among the worst social and health indicators in
the hemisphere, a situation that Morales has promised to
change.
Morales position regarding growth of coca leaves and his energy
policy have already put him on a collision course with
international companies. British, American and Spanish oil and gas
companies have obtained substantial profits from the privatization
of those industries during the 1990s. Little of those profits,
however, have benefited Bolivia's poor, whose protests have forced
the resignation of two presidents in two years.
For Morales, his biggest challenge is to balance social demands
for radical change with international companies' fears and US
pressures. The US would do well not to confront him in ways that
would increase the population's animosity towards Washington's
policies.
Morales wants to secure people's rights by convening a
constitutional assembly for next summer whose main goal will be the
creation of conditions for fair development and exploitation of the
country's resources. If in spite of formidable obstacles Morales
succeeds, he will be able to redress centuries of abuse of
Bolivia's indigenous population.
Dr Cesar Chelala is a winner of an Overseas Press Club of
America award for an article on foreign affairs.
(China Daily January 10, 2006)
