Saturday, August 05, 2006

BOLIVIA, EVO WATCH: Evo Threatens Congress, Appoints Constitutent Leader

Getting A Little Dictatorial?

According to EFE Evo lashed out at Congress, saying it should be "closed" if it does not deliver his desired agrarian reform. They have not delivered the agrarian reform law, which to Evo's frustration he wanted to "premiere" at that particular speech. Must be remembered, that Congress, presumably includes both his opponents, as well as members of his own party. Has Evo lost party discipline? Or is it just incompetence from his own side (see below)? Apparently some MAS legislators have some reservations about the project. Some were not necesarilly criticism from the left either, stay tuned.

We Need A Female, Indigenous, Cocalera

In other Evo news he appointed Silvia Lazarte, a fiery cocalera leader, as President of the Constituent Assembly in charge of drafting Bolivia's constitution. As she boasted to EFE, she does not have a high school diploma, "is not a professional", only has done "elementary school." Thats nice. The opposition was not amused, not necesarily by her credentials - or lack thereof - but by the fact that she was imposed on the assembly by Evo, who they accuse of making the Constituent "an appendage" of MAS. About those credentials, this is the same government that appointed a non-lawyer - though at least a high school graduate - as Minister of Justice, and some of whose Congressional representatives had "issues" with "basic literacy" according to one report. Trying to stay positive, well Robespierre and the worst Jacobins were pretty educated, didn't stop them from writing all sorts of silliness - maybe there is hope for Ms. Lazarte.


MAS First Narco-Scandal!

Congratulation to the MAS government, they just joined every ruling party the past 25 years of Bolivian history in links to drug dealing. Freddy Terceros, a functionary of the same Congress causing Evo heachaches, was busted in Spain with 3.3 Kilos of Coke, he was there at the bidding of the President of the Congress, as well as another MAS senator, Antonio Peredo, presumably to set up some sort of publishing house.

Lastly

Neither Lula, Kirchner or Chile's Bachelet are attending the Constituent Assembly's grand opening Sunday, despite Evo's invitation.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, despite the cultural baggage you carry, indoctrination in state schools is not a prerequisite for being a capable, democratic, progressive leader or politician.

In fact, most of the worst criminal governments were/are lead by university graduates==capable of regurgitating the stock apologies for atrocities and terror that is so common with the West.

She will do swimmingly, is my prediction. And the fact that a supporter of US sponsored agression and undemocratic governance such as you will whine like a stuck pig during this process will be a testament to the democratic character of this endeavor. LOL