Some thoughs on Evo
08.05.2006Technorati tags: Bolivia politics Evo Morales
Two Bolivian intellectuals discuss Evo Morales in today's La Razón. Both articles are found here.
The first is Ruber Carvalho, a writer & journalist who was persecuted under the Banzer & García Mesa dictatorships. He argues that Evo is a populist, lacks any coherent ideology, and that his government depends on the alliance of convenience between old Marxists (who need a front) & La Paz elites (who want to keep political power centered in La Paz).
The other is Fernando Untoja, a social scientist & former parliamentarian for KND (Katarismo Nacional Democratico), an indigenous party. He offers a critique of the lack of true "indigenism" in MAS' indigenous rhetoric, and the populist appeal of developing a personal mythology around Evo, before developing a political program or ideology.
Carlos Toranzo, another Bolivian social scientist, has a slightly different take on the matter. For him, this new tendency to talk about evismo — including w/in the ranks of MAS itself — blurs the political structure that was built, over time, by other actors (he names, for example, Filemon Escobar). In doing so, it can hurt the development of MAS as it seeks to strengthen its caudillo. His analysis is here.
Meanwhile, the constituent assembly preparations continue under way. But no foreign presidents — not even Hugo Chavez — will attend the ceremony. The assembly's directiva (it's executive committee) has been elected: 11 members, 6 for MAS, 5 for opposition parties (Podemos, UN, MNR, CN, AS). The assembly president will be an indigenous woman from Santa Cruz: Silvia Lazarte, president of the colonizadores (recent farming immigrant communities) in the region.
Posted by Miguel at 01:17 PM
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