Pablo Stefanoni, La Paz
In a press conference with foreign journalist, just before the December 18 national elections, Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) presidential candidate Evo Morales laid out a number of strategic points for a future leftist government in this Andean country. The MAS leader said that if he wins, he will revise the price at which gas is sold to Argentina and Brazil.
"We want Argentina and Brazil, two friendly countries, to understand this. We need to improve the price, which currently is too low ... We will ask Brazil to hand back the refineries (now in the hands of Petrobras)." Morales also declared MAS's wish for Bolivia to be a full member of the regional trading bloc MERCOSUR, not "simple observers". The cocalero leader said: "The strengthening of MERCOSUR is important so that commerce is carried out people to people."
These were the principal concepts put forward:
- The first actions of the government, in case of winning, will be nationalisation, the convoking of a constituent assembly that will refound the country, and putting an end to the free contracting of workers.
- The contracts signed by the petroleum corporations are illegal; they were never authorised by the Congress.
- We are going to demand the property rights over the hydrocarbons, natural resources can not be privatised or given away as concessions, but this does not mean expropriation or confiscation. We want partners, but not owners.
- We are going to generate incentives for real business owners who grow thanks to their own efforts and do not parasite off the state.
- We support the autonomies of the peoples, not those of the regional bourgeoisie.
- I do not have, nor will I have, private meetings with the US embassy. Any meeting will be public.
- I challenge the US to sign a serious agreement for "zero drug trafficking". But this needs to include within it that it end money laundering in its own banks. Drug trafficking today is used as an excuse to control the continent. Coca has given birth to our political instrument for liberation.
- Before the US killed using bullets, now it is with words, via its dirty war in the media. I will not debate those who have their hands stained with campesino and peoples' blood [in reference to right-wing PODEMOS candidate Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga].
- Some are bothered by the fact that I call [Venezuelan President] Hugo Chavez commandante. Yes, he and [Cuban President] Fidel Castro are commandantes of the liberation forces of Latin America. But we will not copy models from other countries
- We stand for a united Latin America, with a single coin and with a strong commitment to indigenous peoples.
- In order that the vote of the peoples is not negotiated, we need to win with 50% plus one of the votes.
[Translated by Federico Fuentes.]
From Green Left Weekly, December 7, 2005.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.