Brazil "Extremely Worried" over Situation in Bolivia

[struggle4progress]

Brasilia, Mar 7(Prensa Latina) The Brazilian government is "extremely worried" about a risk of political destabilization in Bolivia, but it will jointly make a statement with other members of the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) and the South American Community of Nations (SACN).

These remarks were made by Brazil´s special presidential aide for foreign relations Aurelio Garcia, who said that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is fully aware of the situation but still has to contact resigning Bolivia´s President Carlos Mesa or other Bolivian authorities.

But Garcia did talk with two Bolivian ministers on Tuesday and added his country will wait for a solution to be adopted on Wednesday by Bolivia´s National Assembly on whether to accept or reject President Mesa´s resignation.<snip>

Lula and Mesa had agreed on several projects of collaboration in the fields of energy, petrochemicals and metallurgy, as well as on funding a road in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7BF7972300-3FC3-4A51-96DB-B63A69E8BCE5%7D&language=EN


Bolivian congress not expected to vote today on president's offer to resign
Posted on Mon, Mar. 07, 2005

By TYLER BRIDGES
[e-mail]

LA PAZ, Bolivia - <snip>

But the Congress was not expected to decide whether to accept or reject Mesa's resignation until Tuesday at the earliest. <snip>

Mesa appears to be threatening to resign both because the escalating protests have left him frustrated and because he hopes the Congress will give him a strengthened hand. Had he meant to simply walk away, he could have done so without asking the Congress to confirm his resignation. <snip>

One person who saw him being mobbed by supporters outside the presidential palace Sunday night -- after telling a nationwide television audience of his plans to resign -- said he appeared to be a man who very much wanted to remain in power.

During the first two months of 2005, Mesa has been besieged by all sides, including leftists upset at a private water company in the La Paz suburb of El Alto, leftists upset with a proposed new oil and gas law that he favors and businessmen in Santa Cruz, in eastern Bolivia, who want greater autonomy for that region.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/11073806.htm

[Robbien]

1. This one will be a very interesting one to watch

Even if the Congress does not accept his resignation, Mesa will still have huge problems convincing the poorer classes that Mesa is the best one to rule Bolivia, especially after the stunt Mesa pulled on the ballot of the gas vote.

[Say_What]

2. There was a piece in Mercosur today as well. Venezuela also

has agreements with Bolivia. Another article in Prensa Latina reports that Evo Morales claims that the top congressman who is supposed to take over in a situation like this is tied to Sánchez de Lozada´s repudiated regime and of a controversial performance regarding left-wing, social organizations.

Vaca Diez has opposed the Executive and has been repeatedly accused of conspiring in order to destabilize government and grab the country´s top with the US Embassy´s support.

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B1BA84710-1F1F-41F0-8044-DB05B167776A%7D&language=EN

I posted a couple of article about Bolivia in Foreign Affairs as well. Here's the link.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=116x9474

[Say_What]

3. All ready for the next Bolivian confrontation.

<clips>

...Bolivian Congress has three options, (in the absence of a vice president) accept the resignation and name Senate president Hormando Vaca Diez. If this is not possible the other option is the president of the Lower Chamber Mario Cossio and finally the president of the Supreme Court Eduardo Rodriguez.

However since the current administration started in 2002 (Sanchez de Losada took office August 2002) and three years have not yet elapsed in the case of Mr. Rodriguez, he would be constitutionally mandated to call new president and vice-president elections.
But the 27 Senators and 130 Deputies by simple majority can vote to confirm Mr. Mesa who has a strong urban support.

Anticipating this possibility Evo Morales leader of the opposition and head of the strong Indian and unions’ movement that is promoting the street unrest described Mr. Mesa’s resignation as “political blackmail”.

...But Felipe Quispe, leader of the Aymara Indians, another radical group, warned that if Congress ratifies Mr. Mesa the protests will continue with road blocks, economic strangling and occupation of police stations, Army barracks and town halls.

“(Mr. Mesa) is a servant of the multinational corporations, and it’s no good having a man who has sold the country as president”, highlighted Mr. Quispe adding the only possible solution is a transition government headed by he president of the Supreme Court.
“People have lost faith in Congress. Too many dollars have circulated in Parliament and too many Congress members have been seduced by multinational corporations’ dollars”. “With new elections Bolivians will finally be self ruled by an eagle-nosed Indian faithful to our own communitarian model”, forecasted Mr. Quispe.

http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=5220