Roberto González Amador
newspaper La Jornada
Monday February 22, 2010, p. 5
Evo Morales mentally do the math: "We won six elections in five years. We like Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwho in one year won six championships" of soccer loose with a smile.
Bolivia's president insists that a leader can do little if you do not have social support. Social support is what he says, there have been at home, where the changes undertaken since he took a first term in January 2006, including the nationalization of hydrocarbons, "irreversible".
process changes in Bolivia in recent years shows to other countries in the region it is possible to design its own policies, President Morales said in an interview with La Jornada, held last night, minutes before traveling to Mexico City Cancun to participate in the summit of Latin American countries y el Caribe.
Antiguo dirigente sindical, fundador del Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), aficionado al futbol y ejecutante de música, Evo Morales, de 50 años de edad, ganó la presidencia de Bolivia en las elecciones generales de diciembre de 2005, con 54 por ciento de los votos. A finales del año pasado se religió con 64 por ciento de los sufragios. En estos años dispuso la nacionalización de los hidrocarburos –el país cuenta con una gran reserva de gas– y asumió el control del litio, mineral empleado en la elaboración de baterías, considerado una de las fuentes de energía del futuro.
En 2007, una nueva Constitución creó en Bolivia un Estado plurinacional which gives equal rights to all peoples. His cabinet of 20 ministers, is composed equally of men and women.
Last January, when Morales took office for a second four years as president, the writer Eduardo Galeano considered the importance of the process of change that occurs in Bolivia is important for the country and the world, "because it shows that Fear is not invincible nor inevitable racism. "
Evo Morales, in an interview with this newspaper, says that in his country have been profound changes that have made Bolivia, a country the indigenous majority of the poorest in the region, but a year ago eradicated illiteracy-central actors of the transformation.
- What now for Latin America what is happening in Bolivia?
"Macroeconomic stability and the deepening and consolidation of democracy are an example for other Latin American countries to gestate their own economic policies without the International Monetary Fund and without the United States. Is the concrete result of four years of government in Bolivia. But that is as important social forces of each country alone, but we are smart, even though we work 20 or 24 hours in the day, is impossible.
- What is the biggest change?
-Change the neoliberal model, change the colonial state. Economically most important is the recovery or the nationalization of hydrocarbons. Socially, a social revolution, with bonuses and income and credit to give people a chance to be projected. And in politics, is an ongoing battle. We like Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwho in one year and won six championships in five years we won six elections, the last with more than 60 percent. It is a record in the 184 years of republican life of Bolivia.
- Are changes rooted?, Are there conditions to stay?
"Absolutely, I believe, because change is a process of no return, is an irreversible path. Why? Because the people feel you have been profound changes in four years. Some facts: in 2005, Bolivia's international reserves were a thousand 700 million dollars are now 8 000 700 000 000. Our trade balance is positive, it was always negative. And if we implement new policies on export organic products, organic, imagine the economic growth by implementing policies hydroelectric facility and respecting the environment, Bolivia can become an energy exporter to neighboring countries. So for these projects and projects to be implemented, is an irreversible process of change.
- What changes have occurred in the mind, consciousness of the Bolivian people for you to say that this process is irreversible?
"The first issue. For the first time a group of compatriots working for the people and not for family or group of families. Second. It is the first time in Bolivia that its president and his team give more importance to the peoples of the oligarchies. For the first time the people, after 184 years (since independence), he feels his state, its president, is at home. There is a bonus for each child who is classes, for each person who has over 60 years, a pregnant woman of any social class, gets a small bonus food, medical checks. What family has not pregnant?, What family does not have a child in school?, What family does not have a grandfather? The State now joins the family, the first time, before I had it.
- What do you think are the challenges in Latin America to the progressive movements?
- Challenges? The release of the rebellion to revolution, to consolidate the release. This is a joint work in countries where liberalization processes, such as Bolivia and Venezuela, that the people accompanying them. And a town where pro-US governments minded, yes, people have a lot of responsibility in order to break free. Those are the challenges to be faced. But where the government work with social movements, that gives hope to neighboring countries, at least release.
- Bolivia may have trouble if I failed to receive support from the government of Venezuela?
"Always give the opportunity is so important. Once, when already underway, is to follow the change started. I want to be very sincere. The first year of our government's presence in Cuba and Venezuela is so important. For example, Mission Milagro (Operation free of sight), so far we have operated more than 400 thousand, is essential, for example, bi-national forces of Bolivia and Venezuela to meet some demands in the areas of roads. Consolidated and we are obliged to fly with our own wings.
"Once I told President Fidel Castro, in 99 or 2001. I said: Put yourself in my case, what if the U.S. blocked me, how does it face? He said some very wise words: "first, Bolivia is not an island like Cuba, and Cuba have faced an economic blockade. Second, Bolivia has countries solidarity, Cuba, has (Hugo) Chavez (president of Venezuela) a (Luis Inazio) Lula (Brazil). Third, Bolivia has natural resources, what matters the blockade. " This allowed us to fearlessly face the International Monetary Fund or the United States government. "
In September 2008, Evo Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador, Philip Goldberg, accusing him of promoting the actions of the rightist opposition against his government. Two months later indefinitely suspended the operations of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, DEA, under the allegations of actions of espionage and conspiracy against the constitutional government.
last month, journalist Stella Calloni, correspondent for La Jornada Argentina, Evo published in sight. CIA and DEA in Bolivia, which, among other things, documents a series of actions promoted by those agencies to destabilize the Bolivian government and even to end the life of the chair.
Evo Morales considers the nationalization of hydrocarbons one of the most important events of his administration. Previously, only multinational companies pay royalties (equivalent to 18 percent of the value of extracted) to the State.
"In the last four years of neoliberal governments, from 2002 to 2005, only entered the state by oil 2 billion dollars. In our government, U.S. $ 8 billion.'s Why I said that public investment in 2005, 70 percent were international cooperation or credits, now 70 percent are multinational state revenues, "he says.
A lifelong battle against the campaign has been the media against him and government. The Bolivian press dominant, linked to powerful economic interests, does not hesitate to call him "macaca" or accusing him of drug trafficking. The pro-business Inter American Press Association (IAPA) permanently assured that Bolivia had no press freedom.
Then
Evo Morales decided to invite the leaders of the SIP to visit him at his presidential office. It tells the president:
"The members of the IAPA said," is a violation of freedom of the press in Bolivia. " I asked her to come. I asked to prepare the documents, because they accused us of everything and nothing. They accepted and came. They were surprised, expecting a lecture. But I called all the press in Bolivia and the world to show the truth, we show videos and publications.
"There (in press) expressions like 'you have to kill the Indian', we tried to macaques. Have surprised members of the SIP, defeated. Publicly acknowledged that there is press freedom, but acknowledged that offend me permanently. If you offend a president, how offend the people. Can you imagine? "
Remata:
" So I learned in my life that adversity is to face the truth. That's my experience and faced with the truth and defeat. "
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