IEvo
Morales: `After 500 Years Of Resistance, We Are Retaking
Power'
Green Left Weekly (Australia)
Dec 2, 2003
Author: Benjamin Dangl
Ben Dangl works for the Andean Information Network in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
COCHABAMBA -- This interview with socialist leader Evo Morales took place a
month after the massive popular uprising against the Bolivian government's
proposal to export the country's natural gas to the US for a meagre sum.
Huge demonstrations demanded that the gas reserves be nationalised to benefit
the neediest sections of Bolivian society. On October 17, President
Sanchez de Lozada was forced to flee to Miami and the gas export plan was
postponed.
Lozada's vice-president Carlos Mesa took over the presidency.
Morales played a central role in mobilising opposition to Lozada's plan.
For years, he has been an active leader of social movements in Bolivia. He
is a member of congress and the leader of the Movement Towards Socialism ( MAS )
party. He is also leader of the coca growers in the Chapare, a tropical
region in Bolivia where much coca is grown. Morales narrowly failed to be
elected president in 2002, losing to Lozada by just 1.5% of the votes.
Morales' role as both the most prominent socialist in Bolivia and a top leader
of the coca growers ( coca is the raw material from which cocaine is made ) has
meant that he is not popular in Washington.
At the November Ibero-American summit in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, you spoke with
Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil. What did you talk about?
The main issue that we spoke about was how we can construct a political
instrument of liberation and unity for Latin America, specifically in regards to
the use of oil and gas, and other natural resources. The state should be
in charge of the exploration, industrialisation and the commercialisation of
hydrocarbons. This could be an economic solution for our countries, but
meanwhile Latin America's hydrocarbons are being stolen by transnational
corporations. In Bolivia, we are convinced that the natural gas is our
property and we must defend it.
Many in Bolivia say that you should be president and that you have more support
nationally than any other candidate. What do you have to say about the
pressure you may receive from the US government if you are elected president?
The US ambassador in Bolivia has stated that if you are elected, the US will
pull its financial support from Bolivia.
After more than 500 years we, the Quechuas and Aymaras [the Indigenous people of
Bolivia], are still the rightful owners of this land. We, the Indigenous
people, after 500 years of resistance, are retaking power. This retaking
of power is oriented towards the recovery of our natural resources, such as the
hydrocarbons.
This affects the interests of the transnational corporations and the interests
of the neoliberal system. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the power of
the people is increasing and strengthening. This power is changing
presidents, economic models and politics. We are convinced that capitalism
is the enemy of the Earth, of humanity and of culture.
The US government does not understand our way of life and our philosophy.
But we will defend our proposals, our way of life and our demands with the
participation of the Bolivian people.
Has President Carlos Mesa maintained the same view in regards to the eradication
of coca as previous administrations?
Mesa is just a part of the neoliberal system. The US has not changed its
stance on the eradication of coca and they have continued to impose political
pressure on the Bolivian government [to eradicate coca]. There is
permanent aggression from the US government, even in the most recent days, and I
am not sure if this is [aimed at] ending Mesa's presidency or to create social
convulsions in the country.
Are there US troops in the Chapare?
Yes, they are in the Chapare and they are armed. In the Chapare, there
have been confrontations between US soldiers and Quechua and Aymara people who
resist. From our point of view, this [US presence] is unconstitutional and
illegal.
Have alternatives to coca as a source of income for the peasants been successful
in the Chapare?
We have never [been offered] any alternatives to coca growing. The fight
against drug trafficking is a vicious cycle. One US agency says, "Eradication
[has been] successful this year", and another says, "No, it hasn't". In
this way they both justify their work and remain employed. There is no
fight against drug-trafficking, it is just a pretext. For the US
government, the "war on drugs" is just an excuse for the US to increase its
power and control over other countries.
How much longer will Mesa last as president?
It is hard to say how long Mesa will last. We have given him time and we
understand that one month is not enough time to change a political model.
He needs time, and we'll give him time. A lot will depend on Mesa
providing some clear signs that he is trying to change the economic model and
political system.
The Free Trade Agreement of the Americas ( FTAA ) was just discussed in Miami.
Is this agreement acceptable or must it be rejected completely?
Where do the causes of the conflicts in Latin America come from? From
neoliberalism and the politics of the free market. The FTAA is the
radicalisation of the application of neoliberalism.
Neoliberalism is the cause of the social conflicts in Latin America.
Commercial agreements between countries can take place, but only with just and
fair business deals. The FTAA is the law of the jungle, in which only the
strongest survive. Therefore, how could we permit the application of this
agreement? From the point of view of the Indigenous people here, the FTAA is an
agreement to legalise the colonisation of the Americas.