Bolivia is no longer a pauper state - Morales

Bolivia is no longer a pauper state - Morales
By Larry Moonze in Havana, Cuba
Monday August 11, 2008 [04:00]

BOLIVIA is no longer a pauper state, President Evo Morales has declared. In his national address last week ahead of yesterday’s recall referendum, President Morales said in two years and six months of his administration Bolivia had registered progress of the historic struggles for justice and social equality.

“Bolivia stopped being a pauper State thanks to nationalisation of resources like oil and natural gas and to the national industrialisation process,” he said.

President Morales said the era when the executive asked international financial organisations for funds as was the case with previous neo-liberal governments had been left behind.

“And to that, thanks to the democratic and cultural revolution in 2008, this Andean nation will be declared a territory free of illiteracy,” he said in reference to the on-going literacy programme with the help of Cuba and Venezuela. “Bolivia is doing well and is reliable.”

President Morales, according to Prensa-Latina in La Paz, Bolivia, said his administration had managed to increase national foreign currency reserves from US$1 billion to US$7.5 billion in little more than two years. He called for defence of national unity. Over four million voters will decide the fate of President Morales, the Vice-President and provincial governors. President Morales asked those sectors opposed to his government not to be selfish.

“Do not foster secessionism,” he said. “Your attacks and threats will not terrify the will to the refound Bolivia.”

Earlier, presidential spokesman Ivan Canelas accused the right-wing opposition of new maneuvers to hinder the recall vote.

Canelas said those plans were based on actions by violent groups protected by regional authorities opposed to the process of change carried out by President Morales.
President Morales hopes the recall referendum would give him the chance to implement wide-ranging reforms.

He desires a new constitution to implement land redistribution reforms to the indigenous majority and the sharing of wealth with the poorer western regions.

But five of Bolivia’s nine regional governors are refusing participation in the recall vote demanding instead for early general elections. The government has accused governors calling for general elections of coup-mongering. President Morales is locked in a bitter dispute with the regional governors from oil and natural gas rich eastern lowlands that are seeking greater autonomy from the central government.

Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija have held autonomy elections but the government have declared them illegal.

President Morales and Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera’s terms of office formally expire in January 2011.

They would lose the recall referendum if more than 53.74 per cent of voters, their margin of support at the December 2005 election, rejected them.
In that case, a new general election would be held.
Regional governors would be subjected to the same test.