Marches On in Bolivia (Mesa signed the oil bill !!)

[Robbien]

La Paz, May 17 (PL) Bolivia has witnessed a new day of protests on Tuesday as President Carlos Mesa signed into a law controversial hydrocarbons bill.

The 124-mile people´s march towards La Paz entered its second day to demand changes for the legislation to guarantee that multinationals pay 50-percent taxes. Meanwhile, in the capital, a radical bloc led by the Bolivian Workers Central (COB) said mobilizations will continue despite police repression during riots on Monday.

We will continue protesting for as long as needed, as this is a war of attrition, said COB Executive Secretary Jaime Solares while stressing the mobilizations call for a nationalization of hydrocarbons, the closure of Parliament and President Mesa´s resignation.

Mesa was to either present his observations on the hydrocarbons billrecently passed by Congress,promulgate it or keep silent. He chose to sign it into law despite growing opposition and a boiling controversy.

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7BD7FC3AAA-AC63-4057-9F0F-F76EDBC7C33D%7D&language=EN

[bemildred]

1. Whoa. Backed down he did. nt

[Robbien]

2. But since he piddled around he now has the population marching

on to the capital protesting that the bill is not enough. They are now demanding an end to privatization.

Idiot. If he just signed the damn thing in the first place he wouldn't have those hundreds of thousands of people marching toward his door right now.

[bemildred]

3. Yes. Too little, too late.

You would think he would take a hint from what just happened in Ecuador.
I just hope it doesn't get ugly again.

[aneerkoinos]

4. Bolivia and Ecuador

How do you Think Mesa ended up with the job? Same as Ecuador, just couple years before, the then presidente tried ugly (killed lots) and was promptly thrown out. Mesa was then vice-president, and thats how he got the job he don't much enjoy.

So I don't think Mesa needs any hints, he's a living example of a "hint", and not likely at all to try ugly... :P

This is very smart tactic from Bolivian social movements, by keeping reluctant Mesa (who in the end has no chance but to obey people) around they make it very clear this is what people want and are ready to fight for, not giving International Community any chance to put the blame on some Chavez-wannabe.

[Robbien]

5. It appears this is a bit more complicated

This article stated Mesa signed the bill, but it appears Mesa did not. Per the NYT, Mesa turned the problem back to Congress who then signed the bill. But now the people are not willing to accept the compromise bill.

and per
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/5/17/204120/943

“I have no choice but to sign the document and pass this law, faced with President Carlos Mesa’s negative response. Now, all I ask is for unity in the country,” said Hormando Vaca Díez, president of the Bolivian National Congress, assuming, before all the members of Congress, the responsibility that President Mesa had tossed onto him. “Supported by the Constitution,” Díez passed the new Hydrocarbons Law just over two hours ago.

Saying he was tired of the uncertainty, Díez signed his name during the Congressional session this afternoon. After that, the senator explained that the administration had avoided its responsibility, and that, in times like these, this is impossible: “We have passed the law, under conditions very complicated for the country, where a very high level of uncertainty has been generated for the Bolivian people.”

No one had to wait for the first reactions. Two of the multinational oil companies, which completely oppose any changes in their current contracts, such as those stipulated in the new law, have announced the possibility of filing international lawsuits against Bolivia…

Evo Morales’ Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) has not changed its position much either, and presented a series of proposed modifications just minutes after the law’s passage. Morales and his people have made it clear that they do not intend to destabilize President Mesa or carry out any other such actions. The march which left from Caracollo yesterday remains on its nonviolent course, demanding changes in the law that would make it, according to the MAS, as always, more just for the people, and, at the same time, leave no room for conflicts with the oil companies.

“Coward and Traitor”

In any case, the people of El Alto remain on the scene, ready to implement their agenda. At the moment they are in an assembly and there seem to be no changes in their position. But the Aymara farmers, the other major radical group in this battle, have already changed their discourse: they have declared that President Carlos Mesa and the members of congress from every political party to be traitors, cowards, and enemies of the people.

Under these conditions, the rural Aymara have decided to organize more mobilizations. Road blockades will begin in the next few days, and a hunger strike being carried out in the offices of Tupaj Katari Single Peasant Farmer Federation of the Department of La Paz will continue. That is to say, kind readers, this wave could grow into a tsunami, wiping out the Bolivian political class…

[bemildred]

6. It is true that they got their jobs in somewhat the same way.

But they seem quite different people, and it is a couple
years later in time, and Ecuador and Bolivia are not the same.

But, you are right about Mesa, I suppose the chance of violence is
much less than before, nobody seems to want to go there now. But
it is easy enough to worry anyway if you know a bit of Latin
American history, and I suppose I just thought that way automatically.

Let us hope you are right.

[Robbien]

9. Mesa isn't clean here. Have you been following the Willbros story?

The president Tillery has stepped down because of bribes and fraud in their dealings with Bolivia, Ecuador and Nigeria.

In addition to unspecified bribery amounts, Mesa allowed Willbros to not pay

$3.1 to $3.3 million related to Bolivian taxes, penalties and interest in 2002

$1.0 to $1.3 million related to Bolivian taxes, penalties and interest in 2003

$1.0 to $1.4 million related to Bolivian taxes, penalties and interest in 2004

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/05-16-2005/0003631421&EDATE=

[bemildred]

10. He is from the ruling class, and has been fighting to save the

globalization agenda in Bolivia, which is why he is in trouble
now, but I don't think he will try to suppress the demonstrations
with violence again. That is considerable progress to my mind.
And it's somewhat clear that he has not kept the promises made
when he took office.

Evo and the populists will not get far demanding that the aristocrats
rule for them, they will have to take power and show they can
rule well, and obstacles will be thrown in their way.

[struggle4progress]

7. Protests fail to stop Bolivia law

In Bolivia a new law is set to be passed increasing tax on foreign energy firms which President Carlos Mesa says go too far.
By refusing to veto the bill before a deadline, Mr Mesa effectively allowed it to become law despite massive street protests in the main city, La Paz.

Considering the taxes unworkable, he believed it would discourage investors.

The protesters want higher taxes or even the nationalisation of Bolivia's oil and natural gas resources. <snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4557379.stm

[chlamor]

8. This is quite a big story

with "anything can happen" round the corner. The landless movement is well organized and determined. They know what is at stake-LIFE