The Briefing Room
General Category => World News => Topic started by: TomSea on November 10, 2019, 03:54:21 pm
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Bolivia's Morales to call fresh election after OAS audit
Bolivia election 2019
Bolivia's President Evo Morales has said he will call a new election after international monitors questioned the validity of his victory last month.
The Organization of American States (OAS), which monitored the elections, called for the result to be annulled.
Mr Morales's announcement comes after weeks of anti-government protests over reported irregularities and fraud.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50365340 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50365340)
Some opponents called for him to step down. If it looks like his side committed fraud, definitely Morales should.
For the record, Bolivia has about 10 million people and is landlocked... so, I believe its significance is severely limited.
OAS, the UN should get involved in Mexico. Really, the place is out of control.
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Communists never give up power willingly.
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Bolivian army chief urges Morales to step down
President Evo Morales denies accusations of wrongdoing after weeks of protests
The army chief in Bolivia has urged President Evo Morales to step down amid protests stemming from his disputed re-election last month.
The call comes hours after Mr Morales agreed to call a new election after international monitors called for the result to be annulled.
The Organization of American States (OAS), which monitored the elections, found "clear manipulation".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50369591 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50369591)
It is sounding like he could step down at any moment to me.
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Yes, he has just resigned!! Amazing.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50370013 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50370013)
Looks like a big fall to me. Nobody was going to bail him out. At least, there was little bloodshed but there was some, 3 died in protests at least. Maybe some other situations...
CNN Spanish coverage.
https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/evo-morales-renuncia-presidencia-bolivia/ (https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/video/evo-morales-renuncia-presidencia-bolivia/)
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This is very good news... and, twitter is abuzz.
A little schadenfreude Nov. 2019??
We Stand Against the Coup in Bolivia (statement from Noam Chomsky and Vijay Prashad)
Noam Chomsky and Vijay Prashad denounce the escalation of the coup attempt against democratically elected President Evo Morales
November 09, 2019 by Peoples Dispatch
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2019/11/09/we-stand-against-the-coup-in-bolivia-statement-from-noam-chomsky-and-vijay-prashad/
I didn't know Chomsky was still alive, he's quoted frequently.
Making a sticky, this is to celebrate though, there is a good chance, the next president will fail too and people will take to the streets again.
Jhanisse V. Daza
@JhanisseVDaza
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8m
To new followers from international community: This is a 1.5 million people protest in #Bolivia about a month ago. That is more than 10% of the population of the country, more than you’ve mobilized recently.
We all demanded freedom then. We won it through nonviolence today.
Check this out, an arrest warrant has been issued for the former President per 2 net news sources, BNO who is pretty good:
BNO News
@BNONews
BREAKING: Arrest warrant issued for former Bolivian President Evo Morales, protest leader Luis Fernando Camacho says
7:39 PM · Nov 10, 2019·TweetDeck
29
Retweets
17
Likes
https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1193704686324535298
That's getting pretty serious.
Will sticky if anyone wants that, it is a very important story really.
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This is how some of the irregularities in voting were:
The OAS General Secretary’s office went further, saying the vote was irredeemably flawed and that “the first round of elections should be held again as soon as there are enough guarantees in place.â€
Phantom Server
One of the core problems was the online system that tallied and reported votes. On election night, with 83 percent of the vote counted, the system showed Morales was in the lead but not by enough to avoid a runoff against his nearest rival Carlos Mesa. However, the vote-counting platform went off-line for 23 hours, and when it was restored, Morales’ lead had grown enough to give him a first-round victory.
The OAS said electoral authorities couldn’t explain the interruption. In addition, auditors found that a previously unreported computer server, named B020, began processing the results when the system came back online.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article237227304.html?utm_source=pushly&intcid=pushly_459263 (https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article237227304.html?utm_source=pushly&intcid=pushly_459263)
So, a lot of speculation but if an election looks fraudulent, that's where the conversation needs to begin. I looked up hashtag #Bolivia , almost every posting it seemed was squawking about a coup but there doesn't look like much evidence of that. Morales certainly does not look like a Maduro or Castro or Ortega.
A situation to watch. Should there be some participation here, will sticky the thread.
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Bolivia can be a problem...this bears watching. Could cause shudders in Venezuela, too.
:2popcorn:
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President of the Supreme Court in Bolivia was arrested over election irregularities (Spanish):
(https://www.sinembargo.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2fb78fbd54e75875634c17d93370df54dd11dbd3.jpg)
MarÃa Eugenia Choque Quispe
https://www.sinembargo.mx/10-11-2019/3676548 (https://www.sinembargo.mx/10-11-2019/3676548)
I hope they keep fairly peaceful, some low-scale unrest down there.
They are also dealing with a line of succession and problems with that. Let's not forget, in the last 2 months, Peru also dealt with a constitutional crisis over the presidency though by comparison, more mild.
I don't buy the conspiracy "coup" theories but if they say Bolivia has a wealth of natural resources including lithium, I will acknowledge this.
https://twitter.com/Keirforleader/status/1193889985675571201 (https://twitter.com/Keirforleader/status/1193889985675571201) (Conspiracy theory but I don't really buy that).
Spanish language news sources that are pretty good, I"ll have to look more at them later:
https://www.efe.com/efe/espana/1 (https://www.efe.com/efe/espana/1)
https://www.infobae.com/america/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/)
I hope the Bolivians don't set everything on fire, there is some of that going on.
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A number of people are calling this a Coup. I don't know personally at all.
After Morales resignation, a question for Bolivia: Was this the democratic will or a coup?
By Anthony Faiola and Rachelle Krygier
November 11, 2019 at 11:15 a.m. CST
Bolivians awoke Monday, leaderless and dazed, to the smoldering embers of the torched homes of socialists after the resignation of longtime president Evo Morales, the leftist icon driven from office amid accusations his party stole last month’s election. As South America’s poorest nation processed the fast-moving events of the day before, its citizens confronted a key question: Had democracy failed, or prevailed?
Morales, who transformed Bolivia during his nearly 14 years in office, called the pressure that forced him out on Sunday a “coup.†Early in the day, the Organization of American States (OAS) said it had found “clear manipulation†of the Oct. 20 election. Violence that had simmered since the vote escalated. The heads of the armed forces and police withdrew their support, and the opposition unfurled a wave of attacks on Morales’s socialist allies.
By late Sunday, all four socialist officials in the constitutional chain of command — the president, the vice president and the heads of the senate and chamber of deputies — had resigned. What was left of Bolivia’s congress was set to meet Monday to pick an interim leader.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/after-morales-resignation-a-question-for-bolivia-was-this-the-democratic-will-or-a-coup/2019/11/11/ff36ce9a-040c-11ea-9118-25d6bd37dfb1_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/after-morales-resignation-a-question-for-bolivia-was-this-the-democratic-will-or-a-coup/2019/11/11/ff36ce9a-040c-11ea-9118-25d6bd37dfb1_story.html)
Hard to say what is going on. You certainly have "Marxist Trolls" on twitter and others, calling this a coup.
Mexico is calling it a coup, all of this is for individual research:
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nation-world/article237237489.html (https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nation-world/article237237489.html)
Mexico says ouster a military coup.
https://www.ajc.com/news/the-latest-supporters-bolivia-evo-morales-protest/Y7XlnKVp1CmxAYMeOXbeVO/ (https://www.ajc.com/news/the-latest-supporters-bolivia-evo-morales-protest/Y7XlnKVp1CmxAYMeOXbeVO/)
Opposition says "not a coup".
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From Fox News, I see someone with a slingshot:
(https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2019/11/1862/1048/bolivia-evo-morales-supporters.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Supporters of former President Evo Morales clash with police in La Paz on Monday. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Bolivia ex-president Evo Morales on the run as supporters clash with police, barricade roads
By Stephen Sorace | Fox News
Hours after he was forced from power by a popular uprising and military desertions, Bolivia’s former socialist president, Evo Morales, was believed to be on the run Monday from authorities who he claimed wanted him arrested.
The allegation, though disputed, nevertheless spread amid a political leadership vacuum and escalating street clashes between Morales' supporters and the opposition.
Sunday began with a jubilant celebration among Morales' foes. But after nightfall, there were reports of tensions between Morales supporters and opposition protesters that led to the looting and burning of public property and homes.
Read more at: https://www.foxnews.com/world/bolivia-president-evo-morales-mexico-police-supporters (https://www.foxnews.com/world/bolivia-president-evo-morales-mexico-police-supporters)
Some unrest but the country is mostly holding together it sounds like.
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Perhaps the citizens of Bolivia didn't want a repeat of Venezuela.
Are there any reports of Cuban influence in Bolivia?
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"Coup" or not, makes no difference to me -- whenever socialists/marxists/communists are forcibly removed from governance, we of The West should rejoice.
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I am stunned, here is a very detailed article telling us what occurred at least from the Pro-Morales side, I have heard this explanation from folks on twitter and from some media since it began.
This is Bad: The Bolivian Military Coup Explained
Very Very Bad.
By Brittany KnupperNov 11th, 2019, 1:08 pm
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Bolivian elections can run several rounds, and also operate on a two count system. The TREP, or “quick countâ€, and the official count. The quick count operates in a similar fashion to our exit polls, essentially so that there can be results reported on that evening.
To win in the first round, a candidate needs to get at least 50% of the vote, or 40% and win by 10 percentage points over the next highest candidate.
The OAS (Organization of American States) has been promoting this process and helping to implement it in several countries, including Bolivia.
- https://www.themarysue.com/bolivia-military-coup/ (https://www.themarysue.com/bolivia-military-coup/)
It's amazing, some people are calling foul in what happened in Bolivia... I found an article where what these people are saying is very much as what is in this article. The Mary Sue is feminist and leftwing as far as I'm concerned. I've only stumbled on their webzine one time before; but this article AS A COUNTER to the general narrative isn't a bad article to read. So, that's a bit of a disclaimer I suppose.
BUT, here is part of one comment, a counter to the counter-argument:
Ryoken • 4 hours ago
I really like how this article doesn't mention how Morales has continued to push and manipulate in order to stay in power defying the constitution, how protestors were treated in the past by the the pro morales military, how Morales has deep links with narco cartels and the political corruption of his party.
I dont agree with the coup and the violence, but this was Bolivians been fed up with Morales looking to turn himself and Bolivia into Chavez/Maduro and Venezuela, and the same that happened in Ecuador when people were fed up with Correa.....
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It appears Bolivia has a similar rule about term limits as we do, and they are being ignored or broken by the fellow who just resigned.
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2016, relevant, WSJ:
Opinion The Americas
The Bolivia-Jihadist Axis of Cocaine
Evo Morales denies running a narco state. Mounting evidence suggests otherwise.
By Mary Anastasia O’Grady Feb. 7, 2016 5:05 pm ET
A Boko Haram massacre in a northeastern Nigerian village last month captured world-wide attention as it was reported that the terrorists burned children alive.
Far less reported are credible allegations that a key source of funding for Boko Haram and other Islamic extremists is cocaine, produced and exported by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other drug-smuggling cartels working in concert with the Bolivian government. This is the same FARC supposedly negotiating a peace agreement with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santo s—an agreement that would derail its drug-trade gravy train.
Europe’s recreational drug users like cocaine. European and U.K. drug warriors thought they could curb the availability of the white powder by cracking down on South American supply lines. But the cocaine capos have shifted their trans-Atlantic routes to Africa, where weak institutions are no match for transnational organized crime. Numerous press reports have named both Boko Haram and al Qaeda in the Maghreb as key players in the business of smuggling coke across the Mediterranean into Europe.
More at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bolivia-jihadist-axis-of-cocaine-1454882756 (https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bolivia-jihadist-axis-of-cocaine-1454882756)
I'm getting no paywall today; maybe I am looking at archived articles or something.
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJKdhGbWsAAtbjI?format=jpg&name=small)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50383608 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50383608)
Granted political asylum in Mexico, he is there now. Maybe he should run it, I dunno. He helped get Bolivia in shape BUT... that government probably has or could have narco-connections.
In a Nov. 10 message, the bishops' conference, along with several civic groups, encouraged “Bolivians to peace and to not commit acts of vandalism or revenge or anything we could regret. We all have a grave obligation to defend the lives of all Bolivians.â€
They also pointed out that “what's happening in Bolivia is not a coup d'état, we say it before all Bolivian citizens and the entire international community.â€
“In the name of God we tell you: stop the violent acts and let us preserve life and the peace. Let us maintain the peaceful spirit that has reigned in the people in this time,†they said.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/bolivian-bishops-call-for-end-to-vandalism-after-morales-resignation-69478 (https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/bolivian-bishops-call-for-end-to-vandalism-after-morales-resignation-69478)
Okay, I only post above, most people in Bolivia, anecdotally, seem to be glad this has happened actually. That's just anecdotal but versus the Marxists and apologists for the regime, many who are not there... most Bolivians seem glad.
Propagandists, Counter Theorists at the Gray Zone (https://thegrayzone.com/). A lot of Marxist type bots out there but most South Americans, those actually there, don't seem to agree with this. Lost my original post, so this is a trimmed down version. This has turned into a very big story.
Progressive common dreams writes:
Bolivian Coup Comes Less Than a Week After Morales Stopped Multinational Firm's Lithium Deal
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The Morales move on Nov. 4 to cancel the December 2018 agreement with Germany's ACI Systems Alemania (ACISA) came after weeks of protests from residents of the Potosà area. The region has 50% to 70% of the world's lithium reserves in the Salar de Uyuni salt flats.
Among other clients, ACISA provides batteries to Tesla; Tesla's stock rose Monday after the weekend.
As Bloomberg News noted in 2018, that has set the country up to be incredibly important in the next decade:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/11/bolivian-coup-comes-less-week-after-morales-stopped-multinational-firms-lithium-deal?amp (https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/11/bolivian-coup-comes-less-week-after-morales-stopped-multinational-firms-lithium-deal?amp)
This is an interesting angle but I would need to hear nore, otherwise, it could be a hare-brained theory, plus, Indigenous or not, a group should not be able to hold a whole nation back.
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This seems to be a writer from 'Democracy Now' but he's not writing some liberal, leftist or even Marxiyst theory.
Excerpt:
Bolivia in Crisis: Don’t Mistake a Public Uprising for a Coup
Jim Shultz
Nov 12 (2019)
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A set of elaborate conspiracy theories have bounced across the left wing press and social media at the speed of sound, most all of them from foreigners who have never lived there and who have no real knowledge of the country: It was a military coup engineered by Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. It is part of a secret imperialist plan to seize control of the country’s lithium. None of these reflect the actual reality of an authentic public uprising with deep roots. I lived in Bolivia for nineteen years and wrote about that nation a good deal. It seems time to write about her again.
“We Don’t Want to Become Venezuelaâ€
If you are really looking for a one word explanation for what is happening in Bolivia right now, it is this word: Venezuela. For years Bolivians across all economic classes have been watching the nightmare of Venezuela — the government of authoritarian clowns, the shortages of food and medicine, the fleeing of more than four million people from the country in desperation. They have watched all this and worried how much Morales planned to send Bolivia down the same authoritarian path, and they began to see dangerous warning signs.
Read more at: https://medium.com/@jimshultz716/bolivia-in-crisis-4ef2f25471ed
That is some angle and probably the basic truth per the author.
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Bolivia crisis: Jeanine Ãñez declares herself interim president
Bolivian opposition senator Jeanine Ãñez has declared herself interim president of the South American country following Evo Morales' resignation.
Lawmakers from Mr Morales' party boycotted the session, meaning there was no quorum for the appointment.
But Ms Ãñez said she was next in line under the constitution and vowed to hold elections soon.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50399640 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50399640)
U.S. issues warning on Bolivia as opposition leader claims power
November 13, 2019 / 12:25 AM / CBS/AP
U.S. issues warning on Bolivia as opposition leader claims power
November 13, 2019 / 12:25 AM / CBS/AP
The United States authorized non-emergency U.S. officials to leave on Bolivia Tuesday, citing "ongoing political instability" in the nation. The announcement came as clashes broke out in the streets in response to an opposition leader in the Senate declaring herself Bolivia's interim president.
"The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Bolivia," the State Department said in a statement. "There are recurring demonstrations, strikes, roadblocks, and marches in major cities." The statement ordered family members of government employees to leave the nation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bolivia-evo-morales-news-us-issues-warning-as-opposition-leader-jeanine-anez-claims-power/ (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bolivia-evo-morales-news-us-issues-warning-as-opposition-leader-jeanine-anez-claims-power/)
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All Wiki says about her politics is she's "anti-Morales" and a "proud Christian." The Pope says he's "Christian" too, and he's a far leftist, so that tells me nothing. What's she going to be like? I don't cheer on politicians who are extreme leftists, even if they are replacing another far leftist. That guy in Venezuela is an example of somebody I refuse to go gaga over.
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All Wiki says about her politics is she's "anti-Morales" and a "proud Christian." The Pope says he's "Christian" too, and he's a far leftist, so that tells me nothing. What's she going to be like? I don't cheer on politicians who are extreme leftists, even if they are replacing another far leftist. That guy in Venezuela is an example of somebody I refuse to go gaga over.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
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"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
The New Boss is a lot easier on the eyes than that Lizard Neck Argentina has....
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Debunker: Bolivia’s Lithium Isn’t The New Oil
A popular theory around Evo Morales’s removal is completely mistaken.
By Keith Johnson, James Palmer | November 13, 2019, 4:34 PM
The recent ouster of Bolivian President Evo Morales has sparked plenty of theories, especially on the left. One of the most prominent has been the idea that the military’s intervention is a coup intended to ensure U.S. control of a critical global resource: lithium.
That’s part of a tradition that sees U.S. foreign policy as being essentially about controlling natural wealth by any means necessary—one rooted in real American practices, from the deployment of U.S. Marines in defense of the United Fruit Company’s interests in Central America to President Donald Trump’s repeated orders to troops to protect oil, not Kurds, in Syria. But in this instance, the idea, heavily touted in the online left-wing media and by the occasional politician, is fundamentally mistaken.
Lithium is critical to batteries, clean energy, and electric cars—is lithium the new oil?
More at: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/13/coup-morales-bolivia-lithium-isnt-new-oil/ (https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/13/coup-morales-bolivia-lithium-isnt-new-oil/)
So, in all likelihood the below, "get out of Bolivia if you can" is a caution against reprisals I'd say. Anyway.
Travel - State Dept
@TravelGov
#Bolivia: US citizens should depart Bolivia as soon as safely possible. US citizens should make their own travel arrangements - commercial flights remain available. US citizens unable to depart via commercial means contact BoliviaEmergencyUSC@state.gov. http://ow.ly/AEMp50xa3qi (http://ow.ly/AEMp50xa3qi)
https://twitter.com/TravelGov/status/1194669008701796352 (https://twitter.com/TravelGov/status/1194669008701796352)
Anyway, a lot of people are blaming us. Well, Morales should not have been running again for President and I think that he was, was pretty shameful.
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World News
November 13, 2019 / 6:35 PM / Updated 3 hours ago
Morales decries U.S. recognition of new Bolivian government
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales said on Wednesday that he condemned U.S. recognition of the South American country’s new “de facto government†that has installed itself since his departure.
Read more at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-election-trump/morales-decries-u-s-recognition-of-new-bolivian-government-idUSKBN1XO01V (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-election-trump/morales-decries-u-s-recognition-of-new-bolivian-government-idUSKBN1XO01V)
Also, check this out, it is likely a previous president vacated office in 2003 due to mass protests that Evo was a part of and then, some few years later, Evo was president. The president in 2003 was Gonzalo Sanches de Lozada.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzalo_S%C3%A1nchez_de_Lozada#Gas_War_and_resignation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzalo_S%C3%A1nchez_de_Lozada#Gas_War_and_resignation) (first with an interim president as we are seeing now... lots of detail)
Some real detail to study.
Jim Shultz seems to know all of this well.
https://twitter.com/jimshultz (https://twitter.com/jimshultz)
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Stand-in President 'Brings Back Bible' To Bolivian Politics
By José Arturo CÃÂRDENAS
11/14/19 AT 9:43 AM
Mounting the steps of the presidential palace as acting head of state, Jeanine Anez raised in both hands an old leather-bound volume of the holy Gospels.
The gesture made it clear what side of the country's political and social divide she was on -- and reflected the rise of Evangelical groups in the Latin American country.
(https://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/embed/public/2019/11/14/anez-brandished-a-copy-of-the-gospels-as.jpg)
Anez brandished a copy of the Gospels as she arrived at the presidential palace Photo: AFP / Aizar RALDES
Gone was Socialist leader Evo Morales, an atheist who had done away with oaths on the Bible and had overseen a new constitution that made Bolivia a secular state.
Read more at: https://www.ibtimes.com/stand-president-brings-back-bible-bolivian-politics-2866303 (https://www.ibtimes.com/stand-president-brings-back-bible-bolivian-politics-2866303)
She's holding a very antique Bible, I look closer, it looks like it is saying it is just the books of the 4 Evangelists though, I saw a picture of her holding the "Santa Biblia" (Holy Bible) as well. I didn't know Morales was an atheist. Some disturbances down there. Hopefully, it isn't too severe. That area, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, all have quite a bit of unrest right now. Evo as a ruler probably wasn't that bad but he tried to hold on to power too much and in an unsportsmanlike unfair way I'd say.
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I take issue with this, isn't it thought of that, say for the case of a country like Mexico, there is already a lot of Indigenous blood in the people? I doubt if the cabinet is 100% percent Spanish blood. They are trying to make an issue here where it doesn't exist. Look at the guards, I think they could potentially have some "indigenous blood" in them....and my personal thoughts would be she has some though, I certainly do not know for sure.
Bolivia's interim president's indigenous-free cabinet heightens polarization
Dan Collyns in La Paz
(https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BBWLDAg.img?h=480&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=2210&y=979)
© AP Jeanine Ãñez, the opposition senator who has claimed Bolivia’s interim presidency, arrives at the government palace in La Paz.
Bolivia’s controversial new interim president has unveiled a new cabinet which critics say could further increase polarization in the country still deeply split over the ousting of her predecessor, Evo Morales.
To the applause of military top brass, lawmakers and senators, Jeanine Ãñez vowed to “reconstruct democracy†and “pacify the country†at a late-night ceremony in the “Palacio Quemado†(Burnt Palace) presidential building.
“We want to be a democratic tool of inclusion and unity,†said the 52-year-old religious conservative, sitting at a table bearing a huge open Bible and crucifix.
More at: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/bolivias-interim-presidents-indigenous-free-cabinet-heightens-polarization/ar-BBWLBii (https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/bolivias-interim-presidents-indigenous-free-cabinet-heightens-polarization/ar-BBWLBii)
Her biography says she was a newswoman; she has that look to me.
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Excerpt:
Bolivia's dueling parties converge on new vote to calm political chaos
Daniel Ramos
LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia’s interim government and lawmakers from the party of unseated leftist leader Evo Morales appeared to have reach an accord late on Thursday to hold a new presidential election, potentially helping resolve country’s political crisis.
...
In a late night Senate session, the chamber’s president, a member of Morales’ Movement for Socialism (MAS) party, said there was agreement between the opposition and government to hold a new election as soon as possible.
...
(Anez) She said MAS, which has a majority in Congress, was welcome to participate in the vote and should start looking for a candidate.
More at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-election/bolivias-dueling-parties-converge-on-new-vote-to-calm-political-chaos-idUSKBN1XO2C8 (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-election/bolivias-dueling-parties-converge-on-new-vote-to-calm-political-chaos-idUSKBN1XO2C8)
I think, unfortunately, Morales' party, MAS per above, does have an overwhelming majority in congress. I don't know their system, at least in one chart I saw. If they are that popular in the country, they should have little trouble in these elections. Good if some sort of treaty is called.
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Following the initial article is an opinion piece by a Chilean where perhaps, we are told more of what is happening:
In pictures: Clashes in Chile amid national strike
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/122FD/production/_109639447_f940f91f-1c1c-437a-b9c2-e4b807b39cc5.jpg)
People waved the flags of Chile and the Mapuche indigenous group during the demonstration.
...
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/C5A1/production/_109639505_d626f928-6e94-4297-b9f9-0229b50be7a9.jpg)
Mr Piñera made an address to the nation amid the protests.
More at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50399644 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50399644)
I saw this article too, yesterday, the "blindness" is caused according to this by rubber bullets splintering, perhaps there are other reasons too.
Dozens Blinded By Police Shots In Chile Protests
By Giovanna FLEITAS
11/14/19 AT 8:36 PM
Running away as shots rang out, Carlos Vivanco turned to see where they were coming from. Then he felt his left eye closing and his face dripping with blood.
The 18-year-old student had become one of scores of people hit in the eyes, and in some cases blinded, by police rubber bullets in Chile's recent wave of anti-government protests.
Police have fired tear gas, water cannons and rubber shot cartridges. Vivanco was hurt during the first week of the protests, when President Sebastian Pinera sent soldiers onto the streets.
https://www.ibtimes.com/dozens-blinded-police-shots-chile-protests-2866678 (https://www.ibtimes.com/dozens-blinded-police-shots-chile-protests-2866678)
Piñera Surrenders, Will Accept New Chile Constitution
Last updated Nov 14, 2019
A new constitution is not only the beginning of the end for Piñera’s center-right government, but it is also the end of Chile as we know it.
By Esteban Zapata
While the socialist Evo Morales resigned as president of Bolivia, the Chilean government, through its Home Affairs Minister, announced that the process of creating a “constituent congress†had begun. In other words, politicians in the Chilean Congress have to draft a new constitution that is in line with current times and generate the “social pact†that the people supposedly ask for.
This announcement is not only the beginning of the end for Piñera’s center-right government, but it is also the end of Chile as we know it. Chile has succumbed completely. All the ideas that led to the Chile Vamos coalition being elected in 2017 have been discarded to implement the political program of an irrational mob. As the television and the press say, it is the “people who rule†and that “problems are solved in the street.†It is the government of the Molotov cocktails and looting, not a democratically elected government. It is the ochlocracy or mob rule established in Chile, courtesy of the left.
In the pseudo protests by students in 2011, university leftists shouted, “end to profits.†They called for free tuition and the end of the voucher system. While they destroyed colleges and universities and burned public transport buses, president Piñera, who was serving his first term, chose to appease the students. History is repeating itself in these weeks.
Read more at: https://panampost.com/editor/2019/11/14/pinera-surrenders-chile-constitution/ (https://panampost.com/editor/2019/11/14/pinera-surrenders-chile-constitution/)
Yes, our free system in the Western hemisphere is certainly being tested now. The size of the crowds can not be questioned. I hope we can, as a people of this hemisphere, stay afloat.
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Pretty good news site, this "Info Bae" (Argentina?), here the headline says Morales's living quarters were fit for an Arab Sheikh (Jeque), I don't see these as being that extravagant for a head-of-state, but some photos at link:
América Latina
Las fotos de la suite de Evo Morales en La Casa del Pueblo: “Parece una habitación de un jeque árabe"
https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/15/las-fotos-de-la-suite-de-evo-morales-en-la-casa-del-pueblo-parece-una-habitacion-de-un-jeque-arabe/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/15/las-fotos-de-la-suite-de-evo-morales-en-la-casa-del-pueblo-parece-una-habitacion-de-un-jeque-arabe/)
Of course, if you were a Latin American peasant, it might look like a palace. Those paintings seem to have, for the most part, Leftist luminaries, Mandela, Castro, Sandino. Then also, people like MLK and Gandhi. People can make up their own minds on that.
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Chile has seen 5 churches set on fire, a Supermarket set on fire where 5 people died. This unrest is unsettling.
Plus apparently, I don't know who this person is but the Chilean Singer, Mon Laferte protested at the Grammys and went topless.
https://www.infobae.com/america/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/) I won't post the direct link but it is there and at the BBC too.
All disturbing.
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There are certainly protests scheduled in Venezuela this weekend. So, I thought, I'd just make a general thread for the happenings in Latin America. Maybe by next week, I will merge previously existing threads into this one but generally, member threads will not be merged for the time-being.
Thu Nov 14, 2019 10:59
Bolivia's Anez Recognizes Guaido as Venezuelan President
TEHRAN (FNA)- Bolivia's self-proclaimed Interim President Jeanine Anez Chavez recognized Juan Guiado as the president of Venezuela on Wednesday, saying they were expecting an ambassador from Caracas.
Chavez declared herself president of Bolivia on Tuesday without a vote or quorum after President Evo Morales, his vice president and most of his cabinet members announced their resignations, Daily Sabah reported.
Chavez shared a statement on her Twitter account on Wednesday, thanking Guaido for recognizing her government. She added, "As Constitutional President of Bolivia I invite you to appoint the new ambassador of Venezuela in Bolivia, who will be recognized immediately by our government."
More at: https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980823000135
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Bolivia crisis: 'Five dead' in pro-Morales protest
At least five people are reported to have been killed in Bolivia in clashes between supporters of former President Evo Morales and security forces.
A doctor in the central city of Sacaba said most of those killed and injured on Friday had bullet wounds, according to the Associated News agency.
Bolivia's authorities did not report any deaths in the city.
See more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50441867 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50441867)
Count up to six: https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/16/violentos-enfrentamientos-en-bolivia-entre-cocaleros-y-la-policia-ascienden-a-seis-la-cifra-de-muertos/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/16/violentos-enfrentamientos-en-bolivia-entre-cocaleros-y-la-policia-ascienden-a-seis-la-cifra-de-muertos/)
Other:
Barry Malone
@malonebarry
Al Jazeera's @TeresaBo
has been intentionally tear-gassed in the eyes by Bolivian police while on air. She was simply trying to report what was happening. And, being a total pro, she kept right on doing it.
See video clip at tweet.
https://twitter.com/malonebarry/status/1195513931881680901 (https://twitter.com/malonebarry/status/1195513931881680901)
I heard about this, there was an article about hostility towards journalists over there, not just from the army police but basically from everyone. Here, it does look like the woman, an Argentine, does get hit with some pepper spray or something on air.
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Cuban nationals carrying large amounts of cash arrested in Bolivia, suspected of financing socialist protestors
November 15, 2019 by Alberto de la Cruz
Once again it appears Cuba’s socialist Castro dictatorship has been caught trying to foment violent protests against a foreign democracy. Bolivia’s new constitutional government has arrested four Cuban nationals found with large amounts of cash they suspect was being used to contract violent anti-government protestors.
Via Diario de Cuba (https://diariodecuba.com/cuba/1573732499_5517.html) (my translation): Four Cubans carrying cash detained in La Paz under suspicion of inciting instability
A group of Cubans carrying a substantial amount of cash were arrested in La Paz on Wednesday night on suspicion they were financing the internal instability that has plagued Bolivia the last few days as a result of the fraudulent election results and the exit of Evo Morales. ...
More at BabaluBlog (https://babalublog.com/2019/11/15/cuban-nationals-carrying-large-amounts-of-cash-arrested-in-bolivia-suspected-of-financing-socialist-protestors/?fbclid=IwAR25Dk5bEDGBm8g6wRA3sQNWXjYMeDfY5oiyElC2d16E3i2OkeipKpiZxLg)
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Jim Shultz
@jimshultz
#Bolivia These recordings are being cited as evidence of US involvement in an orchestrated plan to oust Evo from power. That’s important. Can anyone tell us who these people are and exactly what the recordings say about Rubio and the others? Thanks
https://mobile.twitter.com/jimshultz/status/1195737486456229895 (https://mobile.twitter.com/jimshultz/status/1195737486456229895)
Beware and be aware of this. I think these have got to be 'bogus'.
http://hilodirecto.com.mx/divulgan-16-audios-de-golpistas-bolivianos-ligados-a-eu/ (http://hilodirecto.com.mx/divulgan-16-audios-de-golpistas-bolivianos-ligados-a-eu/) <----- WHOOPS, I get a virus warning or at least, unsafe site warning on my big computer, I did go through on my cellphone without any warning and heard just a little bit.
Article is in Spanish but the tapes??
Passing this along, Menendez is wary of doing things like this, to tell the truth, I wondered a bit why Rubio wasn't more vocal this week. I am thinking these are fake. Cruz is mentioned as well in people talking about these tapes.
I just hear a bunch of people talking.. but I do think it's something to be aware of.
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Cuban nationals carrying large amounts of cash arrested in Bolivia, suspected of financing socialist protestors
November 15, 2019 by Alberto de la Cruz
Once again it appears Cuba’s socialist Castro dictatorship has been caught trying to foment violent protests against a foreign democracy. Bolivia’s new constitutional government has arrested four Cuban nationals found with large amounts of cash they suspect was being used to contract violent anti-government protestors.
Via Diario de Cuba (https://diariodecuba.com/cuba/1573732499_5517.html) (my translation):More at BabaluBlog (https://babalublog.com/2019/11/15/cuban-nationals-carrying-large-amounts-of-cash-arrested-in-bolivia-suspected-of-financing-socialist-protestors/?fbclid=IwAR25Dk5bEDGBm8g6wRA3sQNWXjYMeDfY5oiyElC2d16E3i2OkeipKpiZxLg)
Babalu Blog has apparently dropped all of their extra "cutting-up" is how I'd describe it and I think that is a good thing, they actually do have a lot of good info without all of the "clowning around".
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As I posted in another thread yesterday, Marxism/communism once again seems ascendant in South America.
Where is General Pinochet when you need him?
(I pose that as a serious question)
Not much we in el Norte can do, other than "wall ourselves off" from the throngs -- millions upon tens of millions -- who probably have it in their minds to "head north" if they can.
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World News
November 16, 2019 / 6:46 PM / Updated 17 minutes ago
Chile police stopped rescue workers helping dying protester: human rights watchdog
Dave Sherwood
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile’s independent human rights watchdog said on Saturday it would file a formal complaint for murder against police officers who allegedly prevented paramedics from attending a heart attack victim amid a protest Friday.
Security forces firing tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons made it impossible for rescue workers to properly treat the victim, Chile’s publicly-funded National Institute for Human Rights said.
Twenty-nine year old Abel Acuna died shortly after at a nearby Santiago hospital.
Read more at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-protests-rights-idUSKBN1XR00Q (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-protests-rights-idUSKBN1XR00Q)
An interesting tale, I hope they can clear up the problems there.
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Wall Street Journal Today, excerpts:
Morales Made Bolivia a Narco State
(https://bolivianthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/img_7261.jpg?w=500)
...
Yet how many Mexicans know that Mr. Morales is also secretary-general of the Bolivian federation of coca growers, one of the largest producers and distributors of cocaine in the Western Hemisphere? And how many know that Mr. Morales trampled the rights of the lowland indigenous people in the Amazon when they opposed the expansion of the coca business?
Mexican President AndreÌs Manuel LoÌpez Obrador is on a mission to write the “Evo†narrative. Mexicans deserve the truth.
Mr. Morales ruled Bolivia not as a social democrat but as an authoritarian. Much like Hugo ChaÌvez in Venezuela and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, in the early years of his tenure he used his popularity and a commodity boom to destroy his country’s democratic institutions.
Read more at: https://bolivianthoughts.com/2019/11/18/morales-made-bolivia-a-narco-state/
Nice little website specializing in Bolivia.
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Bolivia: Policeman beaten up and killed by a "mob" (turba) using the translator:
ESTABA HERIDO DESDE LA SEMANA PASADA
Muere policÃa que sufrió golpiza de una turba en El Alto
(https://erbol.com.bo/sites/default/files/policia-18-nov.jpg)
https://erbol.com.bo/seguridad/muere-polic%C3%ADa-que-sufri%C3%B3-golpiza-de-una-turba-en-el-alto
Following twitter, some who are pro-freedom in Bolivia (iow the new government) say those who died at the protests in Bolivia last Friday were shot from behind and that the Bolivian Police out there are using rubber bullets, not live ammunition.
Otherwise, the situation might be calming down.
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Venezuelan Govt Reaches 'Preliminary' Accords With The Opposition
Published November 19th, 2019 - 12:13 GMT
Highlights
During 2 months of negotiations, important progress has been made, says opposition leader Claudio Fermin.
https://www.albawaba.com/news/venezuelan-govt-reaches-preliminary-accords-opposition-1322241 (https://www.albawaba.com/news/venezuelan-govt-reaches-preliminary-accords-opposition-1322241)
So, I read this and it sounds kind of good. No one else is reporting this so much, I check the source, Anadolou which seems to mesn Turkish state media. That does not mean the article is false but it is a bit suspicious.
Doesn't Turkey have somewhat cordial relations with Venezuela? Another difference we have with Turkey.
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Code Pink in Bolivia, Medea Benjamin "claims" she witnessed soldiers shooting Bolivians, 5 dead.
https://twitter.com/medeabenjamin
We sure don't want to hear stuff like this. Read it for oneself, I hope it is not true.
On the other hand, this appears to be a "conservative" Senator, then, you run into people like this and you think Evo and the MAS party (yes, that's the name of Morales' party, MAS) are very bad.
https://twitter.com/NormaPierola
One has to see both sides. Also, twitter does translate all of this for folks, once you click the tweet, there is a translate option.
Norma Pierola Valdez
@NormaPierola
La Asociación de Periodistas de Cochabamba (APC) pide al exdictador #EvoMorales "que instruya a sus afiliados cocaleros y a sus operadores polÃticos a que detengan la violencia en el paÃs".
Translated from Spanish by
The Association of Journalists of Cochabamba (APC) asks the exdictor #EvoMorales "To instruct its coca growers affiliates and their political operators to stop the violence in the country."
https://twitter.com/NormaPierola/status/1196962993462038533
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Bolivian military deploys armored vehicles to end blockade of key gas plant
www.reuters.com (http://www.reuters.com)
LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivian police and military forces used armored vehicles and helicopters to clear access to a major gas plant in the city of El Alto on Tuesday, a show of strength after blockades at the facility had cut off fuel supply to nearby La Paz.
Helicopters flew above roads around the Senkata gas plant, operated by state-run YPFB, which were blocked with piles of burning tires, according to a Reuters witness. Protesters are demanding the return of unseated leftist leader Evo Morales.
Morales resigned on Nov. 10 amid anti-government demonstrations and rising pressure over vote-rigging allegations after an audit by the Organization of American States (OAS) found serious irregularities in an Oct. 20 election.
More: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-election/bolivian-military-deploys-armored-vehicles-to-end-blockade-of-key-gas-plant-idUSKBN1XT228 (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-election/bolivian-military-deploys-armored-vehicles-to-end-blockade-of-key-gas-plant-idUSKBN1XT228)
The police or military deny causing the injuries or deaths and state they only use rubber bullets. There were reported deaths yesterday.
These protesters are pretty serious and depriving people of food and gas.
Edit on, this is pretty significant, I really haven't followed it deeply but apparently, there are tapes, directives of Evo telling the people to cause disruption, maybe even much, much worse.... snipers?
Gobierno revela audio en que Evo Morales ordena dejar sin comida a las ciudades y llama al “combateâ€
Government reveals audio where Evo Morales orders "leaving without" food to the cities and called for "combat".
https://erbol.com.bo/seguridad/gobierno-revela-audio-en-que-evo-morales-ordena-dejar-sin-comida-las-ciudades-y-llama-al- (https://erbol.com.bo/seguridad/gobierno-revela-audio-en-que-evo-morales-ordena-dejar-sin-comida-las-ciudades-y-llama-al-)
So, I'd say there seems to be clear evidence the left is "agitating" things, pretty shoddy reporting and behavior by leftists just fussing about a coup and US interference.
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Colombia closes borders as it braces for nationwide strike
By Jack Guy and Claudia Rebaza, CNN
Updated 10:19 AM EST, Thu November 21, 2019
(CNN) Colombia has closed its borders in preparation for a national strike supported by a broad coalition of social movements on Thursday.
President Ivan Duque, a social conservative, came to power in August 2018 and now faces widespread discontent over rising unemployment, economic reforms and a deteriorating security situation.
Labor unions, teachers, students and indigenous activists are among those set to take to the streets as protests hit yet another South American nation.
Read more at: https://www.bing.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/11/21/americas/colombia-national-strike-intl/index.html (https://www.bing.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/11/21/americas/colombia-national-strike-intl/index.html)
Social conservative? I did not know but it would be hard to deny that Colombia has not faced a 'deteriorating security situation', a situation to watch, see colombiareports.com for more <----- I do think they have a leftist slant but we will see. It's something.
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Bolivia prosecutors probing Morales over accusations he encouraged unrest
By Daniel Ramos
LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia's attorney general said on Friday that his office has opened a probe into former President Evo Morales for alleged sedition and terrorism, related to accusations from the interim government that he has been stirring unrest since resigning.
More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bolivias-interim-government-charges-morales-with-sedition-and-terrorism/ar-BBXbWTX#image=BBXbWTX_1 (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bolivias-interim-government-charges-morales-with-sedition-and-terrorism/ar-BBXbWTX#image=BBXbWTX_1)|4
(https://c-5uwzmx78pmca90x24quo-a-uav-kwux2eisiuiqhmlx2evmb.g01.msn.com/g00/3_c-5eee.uav.kwu_/c-5UWZMXPMCA90x24pbbx78ax3ax2fx2fquo-a-uav-kwu.isiuiqhml.vmbx2fbmvivbx2fiux78x2fmvbqbgqlx2fJJFjYJe.quox3fpx3d294x26ex3d577x26ux3d4x26yx3d48x26cx3dbx26wx3dnx26tx3dnx26fx3d0335x26gx3d9348x26q98k.uizsx3dquiom_$/$/$/$/$)
It reminds me of Geronimo in some pictures.
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First off, Morales' camp says this tape is a fake but if not. Man, is the general narrative of this in the press, left wing and it vilifies the right, I am willing to look at all the facts, reporting out there.
Breitbart
Evo Morales Caught on Tape Planning Starvation in Bolivia
FRANCES MARTEL 20 Nov 2019
The conservative government of Bolivia published an audio file on Wednesday, allegedly of a conversation between a socialist activist and former President Evo Morales in which the latter ordered him to ensure that socialist rioters prevented food and basic goods from getting to the nation’s cities.
Morales resigned from the presidency two weeks ago, after 13 years in power, following the revelation of widespread fraud in the October elections he claimed had earned him another five-year term. He then fled to Mexico and claimed to be the victim of a “coup,†although he voluntarily resigned, and is now demanding that the government reject his resignation and reinstate him.
...
MAS supporters have reacted to Ãñez’s appointment with violence, rioting and looting businesses and in some areas attempting to destroy key infrastructure sites. Six people died on Tuesday after a mob tried to blow up a plant owned by the nation’s federal oil corporation, Yacimientos PetrolÃferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB). The military subdued the attack but said that no soldier fired a single shot; the deaths were all self-inflicted.
More: https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2019/11/20/dont-let-food-cities-evo-morales-caught-tape-planning-starvation-bolivia/amp/?fbclid=IwAR2bGl1fJKqkC9hmO4hX8D9F3jtt6E5l_sALyRxJgISzFxATWCYz9E0bhpo&__twitter_impression=true. (https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2019/11/20/dont-let-food-cities-evo-morales-caught-tape-planning-starvation-bolivia/amp/?fbclid=IwAR2bGl1fJKqkC9hmO4hX8D9F3jtt6E5l_sALyRxJgISzFxATWCYz9E0bhpo&__twitter_impression=true.)
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"Coup" or not, makes no difference to me -- whenever socialists/marxists/communists are forcibly removed from governance, we of The West should rejoice.
Alright we are on a roll now @sneakypete I strongly agree!
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One son of El Chapo studied to become a pilot in Bolivia. This from infobae in Argentina.
https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/25/un-ministro-boliviano-aseguro-que-un-hijo-de-el-chapo-guzman-estuvo-en-bolivia-y-tenia-una-credencial-de-la-asamblea-nacional/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/25/un-ministro-boliviano-aseguro-que-un-hijo-de-el-chapo-guzman-estuvo-en-bolivia-y-tenia-una-credencial-de-la-asamblea-nacional/)
Big negative there.
Morales' kids, millionaires.
https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/23/aterrizo-en-argentina-el-avion-que-transporta-a-los-hijos-de-evo-morales/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/23/aterrizo-en-argentina-el-avion-que-transporta-a-los-hijos-de-evo-morales/)
Elections will be held in Bolivia. I think tensions have come down quite a bit.
https://www.bing.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/bolivia-oks-vote-replace-morales-date-set-67271920 (https://www.bing.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/bolivia-oks-vote-replace-morales-date-set-67271920)
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World News
November 26, 2019 / 2:29 PM / Updated 13 minutes ago
'Massive' human rights violations in Bolivia merit outside probe: regional commission head
Mitra Taj
COCHABAMBA, Bolivia (Reuters) - Bolivia may need outside help to probe a “massive†amount of human rights violations and post-election violence to ensure findings are seen as credible in the deeply divided South American nation, the head of the region’s human rights commission told Reuters on Tuesday.
After a three-day visit to Bolivia, Paulo Abrão, who heads the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), recommended Bolivia seek help from an international panel of experts similar to one formed to investigate the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico.
“Normally in these situations...national institutions aren’t prepared to resolve such a massive grouping of violations†of human rights, Abrão said in an interview in Cochabamba, one of the regions hit hardest by recent unrest.
More at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-politics-idUSKBN1Y02FS (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-politics-idUSKBN1Y02FS)
NPR:
How Evo Morales Made Bolivia A Better Place ... Before He Was Forced To Flee
November 26, 20193:17 PM ET
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento
....
As the country's first indigenous president, Morales promised to bring power to marginalized groups. And he fulfilled that promise.
"There's no question that there was a successful impact on raising the standard of living of the poor, and in Bolivia that means the indigenous community," says Mark Schneider of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Americas Program, which conducts research and analysis on Latin American policy and development.
Indeed, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have recognized the social and economic leaps Bolivia made under Morales' leadership. The country's GDP grew an average of 4.8% a year from 2004 to 2017, while the percentage of the population living in extreme poverty was more than halved from approximately 36% down to 17% during that time.
Read more at: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/11/26/781199250/how-evo-morales-made-bolivia-a-better-place-before-he-was-forced-to-flee (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/11/26/781199250/how-evo-morales-made-bolivia-a-better-place-before-he-was-forced-to-flee)
Actually, pretty good... but... you can't just decide you should stay in power, not my view at least.
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Good, Morales got booed at the National Autonomous Unversity of Mexico, UNAM,
https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/27/evo-morales-fue-abucheado-cuando-brindaba-una-conferencia-en-mexico-un-grupo-de-manifestantes-lo-acuso-de-fraude-electoral/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2019/11/27/evo-morales-fue-abucheado-cuando-brindaba-una-conferencia-en-mexico-un-grupo-de-manifestantes-lo-acuso-de-fraude-electoral/) See video here, the crowd, which the article says are largely Bolivians boo and heckle him over "voter fraud".
Bolivia's Farmers Criticize Morales, Fight Centralization
https://www.ibtimes.com/bolivias-farmers-criticize-morales-fight-centralization-2874728 (https://www.ibtimes.com/bolivias-farmers-criticize-morales-fight-centralization-2874728)
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Venezuelan Describes 20 Years of Socialism in Venezuela: My Socialist Hell Venezuelan writer Christian K. Caruzo tells his story after living under a socialist government
By: Christian K. Caruzo |@KalebPrime on 28th November 2019
CARACAS – Venezuela, my home country, has it all: beautiful and breathtaking landscapes, abundant resources, even unique wonders of nature like the Angel Falls or the Catatumbo Lightning.
Yet if you’ve heard our name in the news recently, it’s as the subject of tragedy: toilet paper shortages, desperate people scavenging through garbage to find food for their families, bread lines, a systemic failure of our public utilities, dogs flayed in broad daylight for meat, corruption, lack of proper medicine and health access, weighing stacks of cash, and so much more.
It saddens me to say that it’s true, all of it, a product of 20 years of socialism.
Read more at: https://neonnettle.com/features/1701-venezuelan-describes-20-years-of-socialism-in-venezuela-my-socialist-hell
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It has to be said, when Morales stepped down a few weeks ago, there was a real perceived threat of violence from his supporters and that helped change the way the military looked at this.
Translation:
...The then commander of the Armed Forces, Williams Kaliman, thus announced that troops would come out to protect the population from threats from violent groups related to Evo Morales.
(Spanish) https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/2019/12/1/fiel-evo-hasta-el-final-kaliman-saco-las-tropas-amenazado-por-su-estado-mayor-239081.html (https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/2019/12/1/fiel-evo-hasta-el-final-kaliman-saco-las-tropas-amenazado-por-su-estado-mayor-239081.html)
President Evo Morales had 14 years as presidency and so exercised much influence and power on the military. Those saying "US Coup", I think it's absolute balderdash.
(https://www.paginasiete.bo/u/fotografias/m/2019/11/30/f768x0-291890_291908_0.jpg)
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Translated from Spanish:
They captured a former Colombian paramilitary chief accused of leading 13 massacres in which more than 400 people were killed
John Jairo Esquivel is noted of 491 forced displacements, sexual violence, torture, simple kidnapping, extortionate kidnapping, aggravated killings, torture and concert to commit crimes, among other crimes
1 de diciembre de 2019
(https://www.infobae.com/new-resizer/3qsDQ_l-SgH1LbadeHrphzpe7Zw=/750x0/filters:quality(100)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-infobae.s3.amazonaws.com/public/TVMFDOA3CFGPRDEAHJ3SZQ75SU.jpg)
Jhon Jairo Esquivel is the first from left to right.
Colombian authorities captured John Jairo Esquivel, known under the alias "El Tigre" and former commander of the Northern Bloc of the defunct United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), whom they accuse of directing 13 massacres in which more than 400 people were killed.
This was reported this Saturday by the Police, who detailed that Esquivel was arrested in Maicao, municipality of the Caribbean department of La Guajira, after several months of intelligence and follow-up work.
The former paramilitary chief, the authorities detailed, led the massacre of the el Salado sidewalk (village) in February 2000, in Bolivar department (north), where 60 people were murdered in cold blood in one of the scariest massacres of the Colombian conflict.
More at: https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2019/12/01/capturaron-a-un-ex-jefe-paramilitar-colombiano-acusado-de-dirigir-13-masacres-en-las-que-murieron-mas-de-400-personas/ (https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2019/12/01/capturaron-a-un-ex-jefe-paramilitar-colombiano-acusado-de-dirigir-13-masacres-en-las-que-murieron-mas-de-400-personas/)
Could there be some exaggeration here? This is horrible. Of course, Colombia had a 50 years war I believe. But you see, we talk of Mexico, some of the rest of Latin America has some very bad things that happen. We just don't pay attention as much. If this happened in the Middle East, maybe we would hear about it, at least, from some countries.
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Sanchez, a former bodyguard of Fidel Castro says Castro left $900 million as inheritance per the Miami Daily, MiamiDiario.com (https://miamidiario.com/fidel-castro-dejo-una-herencia-de-900-millones/)
Per bing translation:
Castro leaves an inheritance of $900 million - Bodyguard
...
Sánchez, whom Castro chose in 1977 to be part of the first ring of his security, assured that the representative possessed a paradisiacal private island known as Cayo Piedra, more than twenty mansions, a marina with yachts, encrypted bank accounts, a gold mine, uniformed cooks and even a cheese factory for their personal use, ABC reported.
After the dictator's death, "Forbes" recalled the facts about the supposed legacy that will leave his brother Raul Castro, which would reach $900 million. A figure that the financial magazine made published in 2006, which made the late leader of the Cuban revolution the seventh most wealthy representative in the world, surpassing Queens Elizabeth of England and Beatrice of the Netherlands.
Babalublog.com cites an NY Times are from yesterday, (https://babalublog.com/2019/12/01/children-in-socialist-venezuela-are-fainting-in-school-from-the-lack-of-food/)
Students Fainting From Hunger in Venezuela’s Failing School System
Hundreds of children filed into their school courtyard to hear a local Catholic bishop lead prayers for their education.
“We pray for the youths who are on the streets and can’t come to school,†said Bishop Jorge Quintero, addressing the Augusto D’Aubeterre Lyceum school in the beach town of Boca de Uchire on a steamy morning in October. “There are a lot of them.â€
By the end of the 15-minute ceremony, five children had fainted and two of them were whisked away in an ambulance.
More at NY Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/world/americas/venezuela-students-hunger.html)
Making big news internationally, is an imprisoned dissident in Cuba:
EU condemns Cuba for detention of leading dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer
The European parliament joined the United States on Thursday in condemning Cuba's detention and reported mistreatment of leading dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, whom the Communist government in Havana calls a US-backed counter-revolutionary.
The move came a day after Cuban state television aired a report including footage from hidden cameras in Ferrer's jail cell apparently showing him in good health and falsely accusing a guard of hurting him.
Activists from his opposition organisation the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) said the footage could have been staged or doctored.
https://en.mercopress.com/2019/11/29/eu-condemns-cuba-for-detention-of-leading-dissident-jose-daniel-ferrer (https://en.mercopress.com/2019/11/29/eu-condemns-cuba-for-detention-of-leading-dissident-jose-daniel-ferrer)
Venezuela, Juan Guiado is not accused of wrongdoing but there is the accusation against allies of his, other parties of the opposition. This matter is a bit complex.
Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido rocked by explosive corruption claim within his ranks
NEWS WIRES
Venezuela's opposition on Sunday vowed to investigate alleged wrongdoing within its ranks after a media outlet reported that a group of opposition lawmakers had unduly advocated for a businessman linked to the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
Opposition leader and congress chief Juan Guaido said the legislature would probe the incident, which according to website Armando.info involved nine legislators from the First Justice, Popular Will and A New Time parties.
The scandal comes as opposition efforts to oust Maduro lose steam and Guaido, who has been recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate leader, struggles to launch a new wave of street protests.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/venezuelan-opposition-leader-guaido-rocked-by-explosive-corruption-claim-within-his-ranks/ar-BBXC52I (https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/venezuelan-opposition-leader-guaido-rocked-by-explosive-corruption-claim-within-his-ranks/ar-BBXC52I)
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Sanchez, a former bodyguard of Fidel Castro says Castro left $900 million as inheritance per the Miami Daily, MiamiDiario.com (https://miamidiario.com/fidel-castro-dejo-una-herencia-de-900-millones/)
Per bing translation:
Babalublog.com cites an NY Times are from yesterday, (https://babalublog.com/2019/12/01/children-in-socialist-venezuela-are-fainting-in-school-from-the-lack-of-food/)
Making big news internationally, is an imprisoned dissident in Cuba:
Venezuela, Juan Guiado is not accused of wrongdoing but there is the accusation against allies of his, other parties of the opposition. This matter is a bit complex.
A great Monday morning roundup, @TomSea! Thanks for all that you do here!
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Thank you for the kind words.
https://www.12news.com/article/news/nation-world/families-in-us-enclave-in-north-mexico-hold-sad-thanksgiving-after-massacre-kills-9/75-187d4e70-ef05-49a9-b6e5-ba8f420fd54c (https://www.12news.com/article/news/nation-world/families-in-us-enclave-in-north-mexico-hold-sad-thanksgiving-after-massacre-kills-9/75-187d4e70-ef05-49a9-b6e5-ba8f420fd54c)
I accidentally posted the whole citation here but I'll leave this link. The Lebarons' sad thanksgiving. More in the Mexico Watch thread.
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Sanchez, a former bodyguard of Fidel Castro says Castro left $900 million as inheritance per the Miami Daily, MiamiDiario.com (https://miamidiario.com/fidel-castro-dejo-una-herencia-de-900-millones/)
Per bing translation:
Babalublog.com cites an NY Times are from yesterday, (https://babalublog.com/2019/12/01/children-in-socialist-venezuela-are-fainting-in-school-from-the-lack-of-food/)
Making big news internationally, is an imprisoned dissident in Cuba:
Venezuela, Juan Guiado is not accused of wrongdoing but there is the accusation against allies of his, other parties of the opposition. This matter is a bit complex.
Typical of the communist elitists. Steal from the masses/peons, force them to live in poverty.... while they live better than royalty. I hope the Castros roast in Hell for all eternity...
as they so "richly" deserve.
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Typical of the communist elitists. Steal from the masses/peons, force them to live in poverty.... while they live better than royalty. I hope the Castros roast in Hell for all eternity...
as they so "richly" deserve.
Capitalism - The Rich Become Powerful
Communism - The Powerful Become Rich
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Typical of the communist elitists. Steal from the masses/peons, force them to live in poverty.... while they live better than royalty. I hope the Castros roast in Hell for all eternity...
as they so "richly" deserve.
I am quite sure Fidel is with his BFF, Joe Stalin.
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A reflection.
From the dawn of structured cultures/societies, Europe was blessed
and in time, North America, which they settled and for a simple reason.
The Ancient Greeks and Romans, arguably the wisest people Planet Earth
has ever seen, created Western Civilization.
Unfortunately, Africa and Latin America, notwithstanding the efforts
of Spain w/the latter, have never been able to eradicate their tribal legacy.
This is the essence of why they remain mired in backwardness and ignorance.
Their routine political upheavals are testament to that hard reality.
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Capitalism - The Rich Become Powerful
Communism - The Powerful Become Rich
Capitalism - The poor have the freedom to become rich
Communism - The poor are enslaved by the rich
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I am quite sure Fidel is with his BFF, Joe Stalin.
I'm quite sure they are all there roasting over their own special pit. And quite a few DemocRats are among them.
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Of all people, Jorge Ramos, Univision actually pens a piece on Bolivia that I'd think most conservatives would not find any fault with. In English.
Evo, the Fraud and the Coup
If the military - of any nation - publicly encourages the president to resign, that suggestion can easily be interpreted as a coup attempt. But, in Bolivia's case it's more complicated than that as Evo Morales is no democratic role model.
Opinión
Jorge Ramos
Jorge Ramos is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, and news anchor on Univision.
"Why are presidents so eager to hold on to power forever? Why is Evo Morales so convinced that no one else but him can do the job?" - Elena Poniatowska, Nov. 9, 2019.
Publicidad
The story behind Evo Morales' resignation as Bolivia's president is a complicated one. Sure, there was a popular uprising following a foolishly rigged election on Oct. 20. But it's also true that Morales was forced to resign in part because the military expressly wanted him to.
There was fraud and there was a coup. Both happened.
https://www.univision.com/univision-news/opinion/evo-the-fraud-and-the-coup (https://www.univision.com/univision-news/opinion/evo-the-fraud-and-the-coup)
"...and there was a coup.", Well, that's kind of in the context of Ramos' thinking.
"As I said, it's complicated. There was a coup, yes, but it was against a president responsible for electoral fraud and other misdeeds."
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OAS, Organization of American States per the election in Bolivia:
OAS Finds 'Malicious Manipulation' In Bolivia Election
By AFP News 12/04/19 AT 9:18 PM
The Organization of American States released its final report Wednesday into the October election in Bolivia, concluding that "malicious manipulation" had affected the vote, which has tipped the country into turmoil.
Incumbent president Evo Morales, who had been seeking a fourth term after ruling for nearly 14 years, claimed a narrow victory, but opposition groups accused him of rigging the results.
Isolated and abandoned by the police and military, Morales resigned on November 10 and fled to Mexico, where he was granted political asylum.
Read more at: https://www.ibtimes.com/oas-finds-malicious-manipulation-bolivia-election-2879436 (https://www.ibtimes.com/oas-finds-malicious-manipulation-bolivia-election-2879436)
So, pretty much, that's that!
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Morales used hidden servers to commit electoral fraud in Bolivia.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50685335 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50685335)
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https://www.lapatilla.com/2019/12/11/araguenas-fallecidas-en-mexico-fueron-repatriadas-y-enterradas-en-maracay/ (https://www.lapatilla.com/2019/12/11/araguenas-fallecidas-en-mexico-fueron-repatriadas-y-enterradas-en-maracay/)
This story on Venezuela tells of how some Venezuelans of the same family were killed in a car crash going to Nogales where they were going to ask for asylum to the USA.
It should be noted that the victims lost their lives in a tragic traffic accident, where a gasoline gandola crashed into a taxi on the Santa Ana – Nogales, Mexico highway. Venezuelans were travelling from Hermosillo Airport aboard the vehicle, driven by Yosgui MartÃnez, who also died in the accident.
Comments in the discussion include one saying the blame belongs to Chavez and Maduro who have made Venezuela so unlivable.