Bolivia Weekly » Indigenous & Culture

Morales Agrees with Conisur Marchers and Pushes for Highway

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:14:07 +0000

President Evo Morales yet yesterday with the leaders of the Conisur march who want to abolish the recently passed Ley Corta, or Short Law in which the government “forever” renounced its plan to build a Brazilian-funded highway through this protected Amazonian Nationan Park and Indigenous homeland. Conisur represents 21 of the 60 mostly indigenous community living inside the TIPNIS reserve and their section consists mainly of coca growers who have come to the area in the past generation. The march leaders stress that they have all four indigenous languages of the TIPNIS represented in their marchers. Morales told the marchers that they were right to want to repeal the Ley Corta because it was “passed behind my back by the legislators.” Morales said that the government had complied by providing the financing for the project ($415 million mostly borrowed from Brazil to pay a Brazilian construction company) and that the TIPNIS needed to resolve their internal conflict. Morales asked the leaders of the former TIPNIS marchers to meet with the Conisur leaders to find a common agreement.

To learn more see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483954834

Amazon Road Construction Resumed at $2.18 Million Per Mile

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:01:36 +0000

The biodiverse cloud forest of Chaparé near where the highway begins. Photo by David Holman

The Bolivian Roads Administration's website showing the Amazonian highway under construction and the $415 million cost..

Bolivia’s Minister of Planning, Viviana Caro said today that Brazilian company OAS will continue building segments I and III of the infamous Amazon highway that the Bolivian government had agreed not to build after a march by indigenous protestors. Now, just three months after President Evo Morales agreed to demands that the would not be built, he has ordered two thirds of it to be built. The highway is being built by a Brazilian firm using hundreds of millions of dollars that Bolivia is borrowing from Brazil. The Bolivian Roads Administration (ABC) states the cost to the Bolivian people for this 306 kilometer (190 miles) highway will be exactly $415,000,425.39 or $2.18 million per mile.

The route begins in Evo Morales’ home town of and coca-growing capital of Villa Tunari which in the most recent census had a population of 2,510 people. The highway will presumably end in the middle of the Amazon jungle at the border of the Isiboro Securé Indigenous Territory and National Park because the highway is not going either through or around the park at this point. The highway will then resume on the other side of the Amazonian national park and continue to a small town in jungle called San Ignacio de Moxos which has a population of roughly 14,300 people. Caro said, “We are just going to built two of the three parts of the road, we will have a reduction in the costs, these are issues that the Bolivian Roads Administration will handle, afterwards we’ll see how the how to fulfill the financial contract.” Despite passing the “Short Law” that ceased the highway construction and declared the Isiboro Securé park forever inviolable, the government is brining a highway to its doorstep just three months after agreeing not to. Caro justified the highway by saying that the work is perfectly legal, since the “Short Law” passed on October 24 only prevented highways inside the national park, not leading up to it from both sides.

To learn more see the ABC website and http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483954460

Indigenous Leaders Declare Emergency as MAS Votes for Amazonian Highway

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:11:53 +0000

Young supporters of the TIPNIS marchers who are now watching their victory be reversed. Photo from flickr by Szymon Kochanski.

The main group representing lowland and Amazonian indigenous peoples in Bolivia, CIDOB, has declared an emergency as the government-controlled legislature prepares to consider modifying the “Ley Corta” or Short Law passed to protest Isiboro Securé national park from a planned highway through it. Coca growers from Chaparé have marched to the capital, demanding that the highway pass through the national park and indigenous homeland. Just weeks earlier, indigenous TIPNIS marchers from Isiboro Securé forced Evo Morales to abandon “forever” plans to build a highway through the Amazon and the Short Law declared that park’s territory “inviolable.” Less than a year later, the legislature is now set to vote to reverse the park protection and permit Brazilian construction companies to renew work on the highway.

Indigenous legislator Bienvenido Sacu said that they will not permit modification of the Short Law because, “touching the inviolability of the TIPNIS is betrayal, not only of those who defended the Isiboro Sécure National Park, but also of the La Paz people who inconditionally supported our 8th indigenous march. If we retreat and accept the ambition and pretention of the government to break and destroy this indigenous territory; the Bolivian society that supported us in our moments of suffering, the La Paz people who cried for us, we would deceive them all, so no! We will never accept modification of the Short Law!”

Yesterday, the president of the Bolivian Senate and close ally of Evo Morales, René Martínez, said that the two thirds vote needed to modify the TIPNIS Protection Law is guaranteed. The MAS senators want to allow development inside the National Park. The marchers belonging to Conisur were received by Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera in La Paz and call themselves the “true indigenous” people. They are demanding that Evo Morales continue with his plans to borrow $400 million from Brazil to build the super-highway from Evo’s hometown of Villa Tunari through the Amazon and TIPNIS. The TIPNIS leader, Fernando Vargas who was honored by Spain as one of 2011′s top 100 global leaders, called the Conisur marchers, “indigenous coca growers,” who do not belong in the park.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483954198

Morales Loses 2/3 Majority in Congress

Matthew Grace — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:20:44 +0000

The legislative processes pushed by the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party in the assembly will not be as easily achieved as they were in the last two years (2010-11) of President Evo Morales’s second term, due to divisions in the party that will prevent it from a two-thirds majority in the congress: an anti-Moralas coalition from former indigenous supporters.

MAS is expected to lose at least 12 votes in the congress, and is expected to encounter difficulties in fulfilling its legislative agenda.

The rupture with the MAS is “irreconcilable,” said indigenous deputy Bienvenido Zacu, who announced this week the establishment of a new indigenous opposition bloc of five members in the congress.

Zacu reported that this indigenous bloc will join other indigenous representatives and senators from the highlands who do not agree with how the Morales administration is leading the country through a process of change.

The MAS party will now have 108 congressional members, three less than the 111 needed for a two-thirds majority and speedy legislation.

The ongoing going TIPNIS dispute—in which the Morales administration pushed for a highway through indigenous territory, only to be met with massive protests throughout the country—has damaged the majority party’s credibility.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20120109/el-mas-se-queda-sin-dos-tercios-en-la-asamblea_156145_325452.html

Coca Growers Expel Military

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:32:10 +0000

A coca field planted in the Yungas region of La Paz.

Today roughly 400 coca growers including men, women and children from the four towns of La Asunta, Litoral, Río Cajones y Puerto Rico in the Sud Yungasregion of the La Paz Department have expelled 20 soldiers from a nearby base where they were patrolling for illegal coca. Locals complain of illegal detentions and physical aggressions by the soldiers. The soldier in command decided to abandon their outpost when he was threatened by farmers wielding pickaxes and sticks. Pascual Mamani, the secretary general of La Asunta’s farmer’s union said to Radio Erbol that they had been “submitted to abuses and violations of their rights” and that Evo Morales’ military had violated its agreements but did not mention specifics.

The Yungas region has been producing coca for ceremonial uses and chewing for thousands of years whereas the Chaparé region has been more recently colonized by coca growers and is known for strong links with the drug trade. Mamani said, “We producers of the sacred leaf are here and we are not going to permit rationing (it’s production) because this is how we make our living. Since we have supported the national government, we ask that they respect our rights as coca producers in this traditional zone.” Locals roughed up Erbol reporter Daysi Poma who was covering today’s events, stealing her camera and cell phone, which she later recovered when other locals recognized her.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483954009

Spanish Newspaper names TIPNIS leader as top 100 of 2011

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:21:29 +0000

Photo from Flickr by Centro de Comunicación y Desarrollo Andino - Cend

The Spanish newspaper El País named Bolivian indigenous leader Fernando Vargas as one to the top 100 most important people of the Hispanic world of 2011. Bolivia’s President, Evo Morales, was not included on the list, nor were any other Bolivians. El Pais describes Vargas as “The Indian that turned to face Evo Morales.” Other South American presidents such as Ollanta Humala and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner made the list. The newspaper states that Vargas, “Jumped onto the public scene from a hellish police repression against his column of 1,500 indigenous marchers who demanded respect for the Constitution and their Indigenous Rights. He comes from, El Paraíso, his community in the Isiboro Securé National Park where they hardly use money and eat a healthy diet. Vargas was attacked and beaten by police in his face during the march and spent a week recovering before he continued bruised and battered. El Pais continues, “Firm and pacifist, they demanded a new law to protect their territory. Vargas negotiated a with perserverence and patience.” Vargas accepted the recognition as a homage to the Bolivian people in their defense of Pachamama (Mother Earth) in their struggle for indigenous rights against the government. Vargas noted the important role that the media played in their cause along with the help from the major highland indigenous confederation: Consejo Nacional de Ayllus y Markas del Qullasuyu (CONAMAQ).

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483953760

U.N. Bolivian Poverty and Education-Level Report Unveiled

Matthew Grace — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:38:11 +0000

In Bolivia, more than half of the population—around 5.2 million people—live in poverty, and 2.7 million of those people live in extreme poverty.

This data was contained in a 2011 report about human development from the United Nations Development Program, presented yesterday in the Bolivian foreign ministry. It recommended that Bolivia improve its policies against poverty rates that remain high. It also recommends that the country improve its education and environmental policies.

According to the report, the average number of years of education attained in the country is 8.6 years. Non-indigenous men belonging to the wealthiest 20 percent have 14 years of education, on average; indigenous females in the poorest 20 percent have only two years of education, on average.

A quarter of Bolivian children do not finish primary school, half do not finish high school, and almost 14,000 die each year from preventable or treatable diseases.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/economia/20111214/27-millones-de-bolivianos-viven-en-extrema-pobreza_153228_318604.html

Chancellor Presses Kidnapping Charges Against Indigenous Women

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:54:47 +0000

Bolivian Chancellor David Choquehuanca affirmed to the press on Thursday that he is pressing criminal charges against a group of indigenous women who forced him to march with them when he was sent to negotiate with them on September 24 in Yucumo.

The indigenous Amazonian women were marching against a highway that the government planned to build through the National Park where they lived. Choquehuanca that he was not responsible for the charges that he is pressing and said that the justice system will punish the indigenous leaders who forced him to march. The vice-president of the Bolivian Confederation of Indigenous Women, (CNAMIB), Judith Rivero, said that the women had not kidnapped Choquehuanca as he insists and only used him in order to pass through the blockade of police and jungle colonists blocking the marchers’ path. Rivero said that if the government wants to press charges relating to Choquehuanca, then they will press charges relating to when the government order 500 police to attack them and dozens of marchers were severely beaten.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483952187

Freak Hail Storm Destroys School – Hundreds Left Homeless

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:34:29 +0000

An extremely intense localized hail storm pounded 13 rural villages in the Arque region of Cochabamba, leaving over 60 centimeters (almost two feet) of hail on the ground. The Cochabamba department has declared this an emergency as reports of intense flooding, hundreds of homeless families and over 20 hectares of damaged crops emerge. The hail lasted for three hours and created flash floods in these rural mountain communities. Arque’s municipal council president, Willy Ordoñez, lamented that they are one of the poorest areas of Bolivia and have only about $14,200 to respond to emergencies for all 97 villages in Arque and they this is being rapidly exhausted just supplying food and clothing to the homeless. The worst affected villages are Tujsuma, Huallacochi, Paria Chico, Abra Kasa and Kellallumi. The hail destroyed the school building in Tujsuma, collapsing the roof after over an hour of constant hail. As the government promises to aid these remote villages, the situation remains critical for hundreds of families without shelter.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20111116/granizada-arrasa-13-comunidades-de-arque_149571_310158.html

Vice Minister Fingered as Giving Order to Repress Tipnis Marchers

Matthew Grace — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:20:15 +0000

Fifteen minutes before the Sept. 25 police operation in which scores of indigenous marchers were brutally repressed, the then vice minister of government, Marcos Farfán, gave the authorization for the police to intervene in the march protesting the construction of a Beni-Cochabamba highway that would cut through the Tipnis ecological and indigenous reserve, according to the ERBOL news service.

The then sub-commander of the police, General Oscar Muñoz, had contact with Farfán in order to confirm the execution of the intervention. Farfán then gave the order to repress the protest.

It is not known if Farfán consulted with then minister of government Sacha Llorenti or any other officer of the executive body. (Llorenti, along with defense minister Cecilia Chacon, resigned in protest shortly after the police action.)

However, in statements before prosecutors, Farfán said that Llorenti insisted that the operation be carried out despite risks involved in the action.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483952012