Bolivian lawmakers refuse president's resignation offer

[struggle4progress]

AFP , LA PAZ
Thursday, Mar 10, 2005,Page 7
Bolivia's Congress voted unanimously to reject President Carlos Mesa's resignation and agreed to pass a law increasing Bolivia's oil and gas revenues that the opposition said does not go far enough to stem the ongoing unrest in the country.

Mesa had offered his resignation to Congress on Monday following two weeks of protests, strikes and attempts to cut Bolivia's gas and electricity supplies, hoping to alleviate the conflicts which he said rendered Bolivia "ungovernable."

It took less than five minutes for Bolivia's 157 lawmakers late Tuesday to turn down Mesa's request and to later sign with him an agreement calling for a law on oil revenues that Mesa promised would be "by Bolivia and for Bolivia."

In a speech before Congress early yesterday, Mesa said the new law would ensure more profits to Bolivia from gas and oil exports that are mostly in the hands of foreign companies. <snip>

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/03/10/2003245659

[applegrove]

1. Are these the filibusters Cheney is after?

[Frances]

2. My guess is that the people of Bolivia

want their leader to be more like Chavez of Venezuela. Chavez is a huge threat to Bush.

[nerddem]

4. a big chunk do

i'm bolivian so i should explain how this recent unrest happened.
the biggest conflict is between the indigenous people in the west (the mountainous area), and the mestizos in power. mesa came to power last year after gonzalo sanchez de lozada (educated here and even has an accent when he speaks spanish) was forced to resign after blockades and protests to which he reacted with force. mesa's cabinet was comprised of nonpartisan intellectuals, and although he ran on a party ticket for vp, he's not really partisan either. he's probably the most famous journalist in bolivia right now, so think of him as brokaw-esque, except for the fact that news in bolivia is mostly concerned with politics (if you remember the contrast michael moore pointed out in bowling for columbine between the us and canada).
anyway, after all that rambling, the indigenous people have always been shafted throughout the history of the country. but when they rise up, things happen. the best last two examples are back in the 50's when lozada's party led a revolution that nationalized a lot of industry and instituted huge education reforms. the other was when they forced a military dictator to hold elections in the 80s, and ever since there have been free and regular elections. in the 50's they never carried out land reforms, but the indigenous got a huge boost from the coup anyway. in lozada's first term in office (bolivia is like my home state virginia, in that the president can't serve consecutive terms) he led a huge privatization program, that went against everything his party's revolution stood for. a lot of people around the country were angry that all of the state corporations (the airline, the trains, the oil company (which had originally been taken back from standard oil), etc, etc) were sold off to chileans (with which there is bad history), brazilians, americans, and canadians. lozada promised that privatization would help all bolivians, but instead prices went up, customer service went bad, and things are worse now.
hopefully that helps?

[aneerkoinos]

6. Wellcome to DU! n/t

[Say_What]

7. And the water wars--I read recently that Bolivians sent a letter to Iraq

warning about the privitization of water. What's your take on the 50% royalities plan that Morales and the MAS are calling for?

Welcome to DU :hi:


Indigenous Andeans rest at the San Francisco Plaza after 15 days of marching from Cochabamba, some 250 miles southeast of La Paz, Bolivia on Wednesday, March 9, 2005. They are asking the government to approve a oil tax plan, part of broader legislation known as the hydrocarbons law. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

[Say_What]

3. Bolivia unions intensify protests (and links to other Bolivia threads)

There's also a couple of other threads about Bolivia--links at the bottom of this post for those interested.

<clips>

...Rare unity

The rejection of President Carlos Mesa's resignation was supposed to usher in a period of calm and stability in Bolivia.

Instead, it appears to have energised his opponents.

In a rare show of unity, several leaders of Bolivia's indigenous majority joined forces.

Opposition lawmaker Evo Morales said they would now embark on a "face-to-face battle with the government" .

Phase one appears to be yet more roadblocks.

Bolivian television showed highways carpeted with boulders as Indian women wearing purple shawls and bowler hats sat in the road.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4335107.stm

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

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1296769


Mr Mesa's rejected resignation has not quelled opposition towards him

[aneerkoinos]

5. Narconews

Narconews has the best (and quickest) coveradge and commentary on Bolivia, authentic journalist Luiz Gomez on spot:

http://www.narconews.com