Suck it Larsen!

Bolivia´s Minister of Land Alejandro Almaraz has kept his word, finally entering the ranch of US ex-pat dirt bag Ron Larsen in southern Santa Cruz, carrying out constitutional Land Reform responsiblities. Ron Larsen and his son "Mr. Bolivia", Dustin Larsen hold illegally extensive properties in Alto Parapeti where the OAS Human Rights Commission concluded indigenous Guarani communities are exploited by local ranchers through practices analgous to slavery, but Dustin Larsen insists is just regular ol´"poverty". Last Feburary, government Land Reform agencies working with Guarani indigenous organizations were violentely halted from carrying out retitling by the Larsens leading a gang of Santa Cruz paramilitaries, even kidnapping Almaraz and others.

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Yesterday, Bolivian officials arrived at the ranch, made several arrests (the Larsens have apparently fled... back to Montana?) and seized a cache of arms. (pictured right with Almaraz) They can now go about the business of giving proper legal title of the property back to the land´s rightful owners under Bolivian law, the indigenous Guarani people historically dispossessed and enslaved by dirt bags such as the Larsens. A proud day for Bolivia.

Racists picket OAS

The Washington Post´s coverage of Evo´s US tour featured interviews with a hand full of "activists" protesting Evo at the OAS.

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"We are here to denounce what Evo is doing to our democracy, to our freedom of the press, to our constitution, to our human rights,"

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But WaPo reporter Pamela Constable didn´t tell you that the quoted "activist" Elena Abolnik is a fascist. She also forgot to tell you that these protesters engaged in racist verbal assualts of indigenous Bolivian dancers attending the OAS meeting.

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Note to the US press: stop protecting these fascist coup plotters. They´ve lost. Game over, give it up.

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Updates
-Carlos in DC gives a blog/press reaction summary of Evo´s tour.
-Down South points out racist commentary on the DC anti-Evo Facebook group.
-Pamela Constable of WaPo gives the Evo tour story another try but still refuses to tell readers that anti-Evo protesters are racists.
-And Amy Goodman, as usual, gives us the most accurate title, "Bolivia´s Morales offers his hand in peace"

Brother Evo

(After visiting the Linclon Memorial in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Linclon.)

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Come on, do not tell me you don´t feel the love. Don´t break your brother´s heart Obama!

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P.S. Also check out BoRev´s must read summary of Evo´s US tour.

Evo in DC

Update
Down South found a DC blogger´s personal account of Evo´s visit to American Univ.

Evo in New York

Evo for the hour on Democracy Now! Listen Up.

Reuters: "Bolivia's Morales seeks better ties with Obama"

Massive dick gets Obama post

Obama's Bolivia adviser Greg Craig (who also happens to represent fugative ex-Pres "Goni" wanted for genocide) just got a promotion. He is now to be tapped for White House counsel, making the likelihood of an Evo-Obama pow-wow ever so slim. As Down South previously noted, Goni's other lawyer Howard Gutman, who called Bolivia's extradition request "part of a political offensive orchestrated by Evo Morales against democracy and those he considers his political enemies", is also an original member of Obama's Financial Committee. With this many WASP jackasses around it would be wise not to call Obama a brother.

Kalamarka - Tupac Katari

227 years after Tupac Katari was quartered by the Spanish for leading an indigenous anti-colonial revolution Evo attests his struggle is carried on today by the Bolivian people.

Turning the world upside down

Hey whitey! I imagine no one bothered to tell you, but it´s Pachakuti. Huh?

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Well, for instance. There used to be a time when big "developed" countries in the north would pass up their noses at the domestic handeling of "backward" economies in small countries of the south, like Bolivia. They´d send their best and brighest "Chicago Boys" to help these poor wretches into shape with an "austerity" diet. But now somethings different. The "developed" countries are... shrinking, and Latin America... has cash to spare. Little ol´ Bolivia is running a surplus and massively expanding its budget and infrastructure spending (a must link!) on a flying wiphala to the future. Uncle Sam... not so much. Basically best start learning Aymara and pack up the old Okie truck because its an upside down world!

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Update

Down South concurs and has videos.

Get Goni

Hey Democratic Staffers and other notables! Awesome job on winning the Presidency for Obama. A lot of work ahead cleaning up that mess Bush left, no? You all want to know a SUPER easy way to instanly improve US relations with Bolivia and the entire South American continent at practically no cost to youselves! Fulfill Bolivia´s extradition resquest for their fugitive ex-President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

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BoRev can fill you in on the backstory. Basically, "Goni" is a bad man, killed a lot of people, and is surrounded by huge jackasses. You might already be familiar with one of them, Greg Craig. We all think you should ditch his advice on Bolivia and instead listen to this other fellow, who talks about how things have "changed" in Latin America and how the US has to be "realistic". I know, crazy talk! but it could work, so please try.

The War on Stupid

The Christian Science Monitor continues its sad journalistic decline with it´s Bolivia coverage perhaps leading the way, rivaling the Economist.

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CSM´s dunce LatAm reporter Sarah Miller Llana again proves why she shouldn´t be allowed near a keyboard with her confused and difficult to read piece on Bolivia and the Drug War, "In Latin America, leftist leaders evict US drug warriors". It is a marked improvement from her earlier work, in that she actually interviews someone with an alternative perspective to US crapoganda, Kathryn Ledebur of the Andean Information Network. But because Sarah either doesn´t like or doesn´t understand what Ledebur really has to say about US drug policy towards Bolivia, the piece devolves into a ´he said, she said` mess with the opposing pro-US side being none other than bonified hack Eduardo Gamarra. This is just sad, no wonder CSM no longer prints in hard copy.

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If you want to know what a well written and balance article on the same subject looks like just go read Jean Freidman-Rudovsky at Time.

Evo tells Obama what´s up

We may not be to certain Obama will be down with Evo, but Evo is already treating Obama like a brother. Today Evo directed his explanation for kicking the "counter" drugtraffiker DEA out of Bolivia straight to Obama.

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"The DEA were the protectors of the largest narcotrafficers",..."One hopes that the new president elect will come to know these documents."

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As Otto noted, isn´t it funny how wherever the DEA shows up, narcotrafficking seems to explode, no?

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Update

The documents Evo is refering to were those presented by his Minister Juan Ramon Quintana acusing the DEA of drugtrafficking, bribery, and murder.

Immortal Technique - Peruvian Cocaine

Note of Caution

Are you over your hangover from partying up Obama tuesday night? Good, because here are some sober thoughts on Obama from Bolivia.

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What could President Obama mean for improving US - Bolivian relations after Bush sent Goldberg to support a bunch of fascist coup plotters? Well if Obama´s current advisors signify anything, not much. A while back Gringo Tambo dug up this video of Obama´s Bolivia advisor, Greg Craig speaking about the possible extradition of Bolivia´s ex-Pres "Goni" Sanchez de Lozada for his role in the 2003 El Alto Gas War in which more than 60 civilian protesters were shot dead by the national military. Summerized:

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“we do not accept your characaterization of those events as a massacre.” He says there were no crimes against humanity, genocide, disappearances, or torture, but rather, “tragically, civil disturbances which cost lives.”

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Oh, did I forget to tell you?, that in addition to advising Obama on Bolivia, Craig is also Goni´s legal representive. Conflict of interst. What conflict of interest?

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But hey, Bolivia is a small poor country anyways. Who cares? Obama is awesome, smart, unifying, and "transhistorical"- MLK´s dream fulfilled. Except Bolivians, like Americans, also elected in 2005 their first President from a group historically enslaved, racially segregation, and widely discriminated against. So Bolivia has been living a "postracial" politics ever since, right?

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I am sorry to say this folks, but if Bolivia and Morales are any gauge, what we saw during the McCain-Palin rallies ain´t nothing compared to what is down the road in an Obama Presidency. Dig in, beacuse now is the time when the real work of progressives starts.

Amauris Samartino threatens Bolivian journalists

Wilson Garcia Merida
October 29, 2008
Translated by Scott Campbell

(Datos & Analisis) - From his new refuge in the United States, the Cuban dissident who, in November 2006, together with a horde from the fascist Santa Cruz Youth Union, tried to assault Vice President Garcia Linera while demanding "independence" for Santa Cruz, is now devoting himself to harassing and bullying the Facts & Analysis News Service (Datos & Analisis). The CIA agent's attacks and threats against autonomous journalism in Bolivia, which has taken a stand by denouncing the corrupt and separatist large landowner system, got worse after the recent popular victory when Congressional agreed to hold a referendum on the new Bolivian Constitution next January.

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Decertifying Bolivia: Bush Administration “Fails Demonstrably” to Make its Case

Kathryn Ledebur, Andean Information Network

On September 16, 2008, the Bush administration announced its determination that Bolivia had “failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months” to adhere to its “obligations under international counternarcotics agreements.”Ten days later, the Administration announced its intent to make Bolivia ineligible for benefits under the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), asserting that “Bolivia’s demonstrable failure to cooperate in counternarcotics efforts over the past 12 months indicates that Bolivia is not meeting important criteria” to qualify for the tariff preferences.

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Make up date

Despite the emails hitting my inbox, this Dude flaked on informing you about an event last month held at the SEIU in Washington DC on the Bolivian economy. Featuring Luis Arce, the Bolivian Minister of Finance and Carlos Villegas, Minister of Development and Planning as well as Mark Weisbrot of CEPR, this event would have been awesome to go to if you lived in the area, no? Well fret not, Bolivia Rising has posted a video, so head on over and pretend like you were there.

Sunday Wrap Up

Turns out that Bolivia can also diplomatically retaliate against the US, and with more consequence, telling the DEA cut it.

But don´t expect this to mean your yuppie friends will soon have a surplus of Bolivian cociane anytime soon.

Also turns out that democracy in Bolivia starts where US "democracy promotion" ends.

Especially when "democracy promotion" involves demolishing poor peoples homes.

And Evo gets a nose job.