A dangerous invitation
12.12.2003Yesterday, at a meeting in the Altiplano, Carlos Mesa announced that nothing tied him to the presidency. He's quoted as saying this:
"Si hay un conjunto de sectores ultra-radicalizados que quiere generar una violencia para que yo me vaya, como decía el Presidente Frías en el siglo XIX, a su mozo: si en la noche alguien viene a tocar la puerta de Palacio de Gobierno les vas a entregar este paquetito — en el paquetito estaba la Banda Presidencial y la Medalla Presidencial — y que por favor que no despierten. Esa es mi misma filosofía."
"If there's a grouping of utra-radicalized sectors that want to generate violence to make me leave, like President Frías said in the 19th century to his butler: if at night someone knocks on the door of the Government Palace you'll give them this small package — in the package was the Presidential Sash and the Presidential Medallion — and that they please don't wake me. That's my philosophy."
Noble as this might sound, it's extremely dangerous. Mesa's just given radical groups a green light to kick him out of power at any moment.
Meanwhile, eight cocaleros (and dirigentes of MAS, Evo Morales' party) were arrested in a major narco-terrorism operation in the Chapare. They're said to be tied to Colombian ELN (Ejercito de Liberación Nacional) member, Francisco Cortés, who was arrested April this year. During the arrest, caches of weapons and explosives were also confiscated, along w/ ELN and FARC literature. Another nineteen wanted cocaleros are still at large.
Posted by Miguel at 03:47 PM
Comments
Ok. Not to sound too academic here, but is seems to me that the expression could mean something more tacit than what you suggest. Perhaps the symbols of sash and title are unimportant to a true leader. Perhaps the true leader does not need the trappings, those that he would be happy to hand over to a radical through a butler, whilst not waking the master of the house, so that the master could run his domain correctly.
This is but a thought -- take it with a grain of salt. I've been drinking.
Love,
Micah
Posted by: Micah at December 14, 2003 05:35 AM
No. That expression meant precisely what I suggested it meant. And Mesa's other statements were in that context as well. He said that "nothing tied him to the presidency" and that if radical groups wanted him out, he'd easily leave. So the expression mean that he would hand over power and simply ask not to be personally disturbed. It meant just what I suggested it meant.
Posted by: Miguel at December 14, 2003 01:53 PM