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WORD COUNT
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DECEMBER 28, 2005
BOLIVIANS SEND U.S. A
SHARP MESSAGE – by Nadia Martinez
Bolivians turned out
to the polls in record numbers in mid-December to elect Evo Morales,
their country’s first indigenous president. With this victory, another
Latin American country has joined the ranks of the region’s nations with
elected leaders who are challenging the status quo.
Morales, a coca
farmer-turned-politician, won Bolivia’s much anticipated presidential
election by an extraordinary margin – over 50 percent. That’s an
unprecedented result in a country where no president has ever won a full
majority. Bolivia’s fourth president in three years, Morales now faces
the daunting challenge of governing a troubled and bitter nation, where
expectations are high and short-term change is difficult to achieve.
Nonetheless, Morales’
win marks a historic turning point in Bolivia, whose indigenous and poor
population has been traditionally excluded from political and economic
circles, even though they are the overwhelming majority. More than 60
percent of the 8 million Bolivians self-identify as belonging to one of
42 ethnic groups. Over two-thirds of the population lives in poverty,
and nearly half in abject poverty, meaning they subsist on less than $1
per day.
Morales, a native
peasant whose first language is Aymara, not the country’s official
Spanish, is seen by this destitute citizenry as their only hope for a
better life. He gained notoriety as the leader of the coca farmers’
union. (Coca leaves are both the raw material of cocaine and entwined in
long-standing Bolivian cultural traditions.) He’s a fervent defender of
indigenous rights, a vocal opponent of U.S. coca crop eradication
programs, and a harsh critic of Washington-imposed economic policies of
unfettered free trade and private foreign investment.
Morales’ more
socially minded views are not rare or unique. Indeed, they resonate not
only with Bolivians but also with people throughout Latin America, where
populist-rooted governments now rule Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica,
Uruguay and Venezuela. Measured in population, that’s three-quarters of
South America, including the continent’s three largest economies.
Analysts and even
politicians throughout the region recognize that these changes are
expressions of large-scale discontent with the failed economic policies
of the past decades. Washington’s cookie-cutter approach of directing
economic programs that limit social spending and increase the role of
private industry has resulted in stagnating economies and widening
inequalities between rich and poor throughout Latin America.
Even with South
America’s second-largest gas reserves, after Venezuela, and the
increasing global demand for energy, Bolivians have yet to feel the
benefits while multinational oil and gas companies continue to post
record profits. This dichotomy hasn’t gone unnoticed, and has boosted
the popularity and appeal of figures like Morales in Bolivia, Chavez in
Venezuela, and Lula in Brazil. They are leaders who come from the ranks
of the populace, rather than the traditional ruling elites, and are
promising to change the way their governments do business.
As the political
landscape changes in Latin America, the White House would be better off
embracing these new leaders, instead of isolating them.
A U.S. foreign policy
that embodies the fundamental values of democracy and freedom should
nurture efforts by democratically elected leaders to address endemic
problems of poverty and insecurity in their countries. Economically
successful neighbors make reliable trading partners, and politically
stable governments make good global allies. America’s interests are best
served if both of those are the norm instead of the exception.
--
Nadia Martinez
directs the Americas program of Sustainable Energy and Economy Network
at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
nmartinez@seen.org -- A photo of Nadia Martinez is available
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