Back to normality

10.21.2003

Things are relatively back to normal. I'm back in my apartment; workers upstairs wake me dutifully at 8am w/ incessant pounding, drilling, and sawing. I picked up my laundry yesterday afternoon and went to the post office to check my mail (nothing in my box).

But the political situation's still precarious. And I'm not really happy w/ the way Mesa's turnging himself into a populist. He attended a rally in Plaza San Franciso alongside Solares, Mallku, and other dirigentes. On the one hand, it's good that Mesa's successfully engaging these important social sectors. But it also makes for some weird concessions and exchanges in rhetoric.

Mesa (like Goni) already agreed to all the protesters' demands. But now they've added new ones. El Alto wants a new international aiport. Evo demands an immediate end to coca erradication. Solares (leader of the COB, the Bolivian Workers Federation) demands an abrogation of a constitutional provision that allows workers to join or not join unions. Essentially, he'd turn the country into a closed-shop, w/ all workers answering directly to the COB.

In terms of rhetoric, Mesa's playing a dangerous game. Mesa officially recognized Solares as the "maximum leader" of Bolivian workers, a post he didn't win by any internal union elections (much of the COB bitterly rejected Solares), but because his legitimate leadership was expressed "in the streets." He praised the valor of the Aymara people and its willingness to sacrifice for democracy. In response, Mallku's promised to take power, whether by election or by force.

Driving through the city, I see more and more graffiti announcing: "Carlos Mesa Golpista" (golpe is Spanish for coup d'état). One by one, vice ministers, prefects, ambassadors, and bureaucrats are resigning, despite appeals for them to stay. A formal complaint was filed by non-coca farmers in the Chapare; dirigentes from Evo's MAS nearly tortured to death a man & wife who'd spoken out in favor of alternative crops. And citizens of Tarija marched today (they didn't march during the protests) demanding the sale of gas (through Chile), a rejection of the national referendum on gas, and regional autonomy; otherwise, they threaten secession.

Posted by Miguel at 05:52 PM

Comments

Hey Miguel just wanted to let you know that I am doing a program at school showing the movie Manuela Saenz and while looking up stuff on the web I came across a university class in South Carolina that references your website as a source about Simon Bolivar. :)

Posted by: Andres at October 22, 2003 08:56 AM

So Mesa's trying to please everyone and becoming friendly with the dirigentes. Itd be interesting how that works out with the demands for secession. Hope he'll win enough support from the people who'd march for him when Malku or anyone else wants to take power.

Posted by: steph at October 22, 2003 01:58 PM

There's no way Mesa can make everyone happy. And the more he tries to make the radical fringe happy, the more they demand. Unfortunately, Mesa's smart, but not politically savy. He only came to power because the middle class was tired of violence; he needs them on his side to stay in power. I give Mesa six months.

Posted by: miguel at October 22, 2003 03:35 PM