Monday, June 20, 2005

Awesome Article on Bolivia, Smackdown on Granola

What a killer article from this guy on Bolivia, I am going to end up dedicating another post to it later. Seems to be from a guy on the thinking left, sort of like the "In These Times" crowd.


One example about the insight.


The backbone of the protest movement comes less from indigenism, than from syndicalism. It's not really about the sacred nature of natural resources, or harking back to a pre-Colombian patrimony. When such statements are made, it tends to be with an eye to international supporters. The main groups behind the uprising - such as neighbourhood committees in El Alto, the makeshift city on a plateau above La Paz; and the coca-growers of the Chapare region further south - draw on the country's trades union past.




And on the other hand you have that Jim Schultz character, a clever but really biased propagandist. Amazingly enough, this guy gets cited by legit newspapers like the Boston Globe and the NYT. I know some very educated and insightful Bolivians, who should be asked for soundbites, instead of some biased gringo agitator.

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