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The Latin America thread


Stu Monty
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  • 6 months later...

The mayor of a small town in Bolivia has been attacked by opposition protesters who dragged her through the streets barefoot, covered her in red paint and forcibly cut her hair.

Patricia Arce of the governing Mas party was handed over to police in Vinto after several hours.

It is the latest in a series of violent clashes between government supporters and opponents in the wake of controversial presidential elections.

At least three people have died so far.

A group of anti-government protesters was blocking a bridge in Vinto, a small town in Cochabamba province in central Bolivia, as part of their ongoing demonstrations following the presidential election on 20 October.

Rumours spread that two opposition protesters had been killed nearby in clashes with supporters of incumbent president, Evo Morales, prompting an angry group to march to the town.

Amid shouts of "murderess, murderess" masked men dragged her through the streets barefoot to the bridge. There, they made her kneel down, cut her hair and doused her in red paint. They also forced her to sign a resignation letter.

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48 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

The mayor of a small town in Bolivia has been attacked by opposition protesters who dragged her through the streets barefoot, covered her in red paint and forcibly cut her hair.

Patricia Arce of the governing Mas party was handed over to police in Vinto after several hours.

It is the latest in a series of violent clashes between government supporters and opponents in the wake of controversial presidential elections.

At least three people have died so far.

A group of anti-government protesters was blocking a bridge in Vinto, a small town in Cochabamba province in central Bolivia, as part of their ongoing demonstrations following the presidential election on 20 October.

Rumours spread that two opposition protesters had been killed nearby in clashes with supporters of incumbent president, Evo Morales, prompting an angry group to march to the town.

Amid shouts of "murderess, murderess" masked men dragged her through the streets barefoot to the bridge. There, they made her kneel down, cut her hair and doused her in red paint. They also forced her to sign a resignation letter.

Saw a clip before, looked like she had a cracking rack but I got distracted by the snooker. Can anyone confirm? 

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As (I presume) the only Bolivian on the forum, I am quite bemused to see all the Europeans on twitter calling the recent events a "coup."

 

It is a complicated situation, to be sure, and I am far from a right-winger, but if we on the left can't admit when those who use the label "leftist" then become power-hungry and abandon the values that swept them to office, then we're not much better than the ones we claim to hate on the other side.

 

Evo Morales has been rigging elections, and ignoring the ones he can't rig badly enough for YEARS. He is a borderline dictator and a terrible representative for the politics of caring for the poor and needy (though he still uses the rhetoric when it suits his purposes). Bolivians have taken note of what's happened in Venezuela - everyone in Bolivia knows someone who has fled their home there and there is a large refugee community in the country from Venezuela. Once you've heard their stories and seen how transparent the dictatorship is in that country (again, using leftist rhetoric as a cover for corruption and incompetence) it's hard to sit by and watch it happen to your country.

 

Again, just as a reminder, Bolivia has a constitutional provision that a president can only serve two terms. Evo served his two terms but wanted to continue as president. So he had the Supreme Court, which he controls, issue a statement that his first term didn't count (thus making this last term, his third, actually his second). But wait, I hear you ask - how can he be running again for a fourth term, then?

 

He held a referendum to change the constitution to allow a president to run for as many terms as he/she liked in 2016. Despite massive evidence of voter fraud on the part of Morales' party, they STILL lost in the popular vote. So he couldn't run again, right?

 

No, you naive fool. He simply convened a new "Constitutional Assembly," wrote a new constitution that was mostly the same as the old one but without term limits, and then without any voting made it law.

 

That's why he's able to run for president again in 2019. So while he may use the language of a leftist, fighting "for the people" and whatever, the truth is that he has proven over and over that he is willing to trample all over democracy to keep himself in power. 

 

So yes, removing him from power has some of the elements of a coup, I suppose. But taken into the context of a situation where he's basically made it clear that he will never allow himself to be voted out of office, it would seem that the country had very little choice. Hopefully now they can scrap the worst corruption from his party and run again with a clean slate with a fair election. But I wouldn't bet too much on it - the big powers like Russia, China and the US will certainly be involved, sadly.

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You can justify and rationalise it however you like, it’s still a democratically elected leader being removed by force by the (very right wing) military. That’s called a coup. 


If you think this will improve conditions for people in the country or lead to “fair” truly democratic elections, which is the US party line, then I have a bridge to sell you

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@moof Dude - are you seriously lecturing a fella from that country?

 

That post certainly deserves better. This part must be particularly difficult given our recent conversations on caudillos.

 

Evo Morales has been rigging elections, and ignoring the ones he can't rig badly enough for YEARS. He is a borderline dictator and a terrible representative for the politics of caring for the poor and needy (though he still uses the rhetoric when it suits his purposes). 

 

You do acknowledge that the people of Bolivia voted quite strongly to keep term limits in effect?

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11 hours ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

As (I presume) the only Bolivian on the forum, I am quite bemused to see all the Europeans on twitter calling the recent events a "coup."

 

It is a complicated situation, to be sure, and I am far from a right-winger, but if we on the left can't admit when those who use the label "leftist" then become power-hungry and abandon the values that swept them to office, then we're not much better than the ones we claim to hate on the other side.

 

Evo Morales has been rigging elections, and ignoring the ones he can't rig badly enough for YEARS. He is a borderline dictator and a terrible representative for the politics of caring for the poor and needy (though he still uses the rhetoric when it suits his purposes). Bolivians have taken note of what's happened in Venezuela - everyone in Bolivia knows someone who has fled their home there and there is a large refugee community in the country from Venezuela. Once you've heard their stories and seen how transparent the dictatorship is in that country (again, using leftist rhetoric as a cover for corruption and incompetence) it's hard to sit by and watch it happen to your country.

 

Again, just as a reminder, Bolivia has a constitutional provision that a president can only serve two terms. Evo served his two terms but wanted to continue as president. So he had the Supreme Court, which he controls, issue a statement that his first term didn't count (thus making this last term, his third, actually his second). But wait, I hear you ask - how can he be running again for a fourth term, then?

 

He held a referendum to change the constitution to allow a president to run for as many terms as he/she liked in 2016. Despite massive evidence of voter fraud on the part of Morales' party, they STILL lost in the popular vote. So he couldn't run again, right?

 

No, you naive fool. He simply convened a new "Constitutional Assembly," wrote a new constitution that was mostly the same as the old one but without term limits, and then without any voting made it law.

 

That's why he's able to run for president again in 2019. So while he may use the language of a leftist, fighting "for the people" and whatever, the truth is that he has proven over and over that he is willing to trample all over democracy to keep himself in power. 

 

So yes, removing him from power has some of the elements of a coup, I suppose. But taken into the context of a situation where he's basically made it clear that he will never allow himself to be voted out of office, it would seem that the country had very little choice. Hopefully now they can scrap the worst corruption from his party and run again with a clean slate with a fair election. But I wouldn't bet too much on it - the big powers like Russia, China and the US will certainly be involved, sadly.

Don't you oppress me 

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11 hours ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

As (I presume) the only Bolivian on the forum, I am quite bemused to see all the Europeans on twitter calling the recent events a "coup."

 

It is a complicated situation, to be sure, and I am far from a right-winger, but if we on the left can't admit when those who use the label "leftist" then become power-hungry and abandon the values that swept them to office, then we're not much better than the ones we claim to hate on the other side.

 

Evo Morales has been rigging elections, and ignoring the ones he can't rig badly enough for YEARS. He is a borderline dictator and a terrible representative for the politics of caring for the poor and needy (though he still uses the rhetoric when it suits his purposes). Bolivians have taken note of what's happened in Venezuela - everyone in Bolivia knows someone who has fled their home there and there is a large refugee community in the country from Venezuela. Once you've heard their stories and seen how transparent the dictatorship is in that country (again, using leftist rhetoric as a cover for corruption and incompetence) it's hard to sit by and watch it happen to your country.

 

Again, just as a reminder, Bolivia has a constitutional provision that a president can only serve two terms. Evo served his two terms but wanted to continue as president. So he had the Supreme Court, which he controls, issue a statement that his first term didn't count (thus making this last term, his third, actually his second). But wait, I hear you ask - how can he be running again for a fourth term, then?

 

He held a referendum to change the constitution to allow a president to run for as many terms as he/she liked in 2016. Despite massive evidence of voter fraud on the part of Morales' party, they STILL lost in the popular vote. So he couldn't run again, right?

 

No, you naive fool. He simply convened a new "Constitutional Assembly," wrote a new constitution that was mostly the same as the old one but without term limits, and then without any voting made it law.

 

That's why he's able to run for president again in 2019. So while he may use the language of a leftist, fighting "for the people" and whatever, the truth is that he has proven over and over that he is willing to trample all over democracy to keep himself in power. 

 

So yes, removing him from power has some of the elements of a coup, I suppose. But taken into the context of a situation where he's basically made it clear that he will never allow himself to be voted out of office, it would seem that the country had very little choice. Hopefully now they can scrap the worst corruption from his party and run again with a clean slate with a fair election. But I wouldn't bet too much on it - the big powers like Russia, China and the US will certainly be involved, sadly.


Great to hear the perspective of someone with actual ties with the country, but I though you were Brazilian?

 

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29 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

@moof Dude - are you seriously lecturing a fella from that country?

 

That post certainly deserves better. This part must be particularly difficult given our recent conversations on caudillos.

 

Evo Morales has been rigging elections, and ignoring the ones he can't rig badly enough for YEARS. He is a borderline dictator and a terrible representative for the politics of caring for the poor and needy (though he still uses the rhetoric when it suits his purposes). 

 

You do acknowledge that the people of Bolivia voted quite strongly to keep term limits in effect?

I suspect “strongly” is subjective. They lost a referendum but the Supreme Court then ruled term limits are unconstitutional. Who am I to question another countries Supreme Court? Now, do I think doing away with term limits is problematic? Yes, but that’s a different conversation. The fact is he stood in the election, legally, and won it. His removal by force is a textbook putsch 

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9 minutes ago, moof said:

 The fact is he stood in the election, legally, and won it. His removal by force is a textbook putsch 

I made up the strongly part -- still always worrying when a fella decides to change a countries Constitution.

 

Certainly we can acknowledge that the "election" may have some issues. And we can agree that the "by force" was because of actual people (probably Bolivian) demonstrating, not the General walking into his office, unannounced, with a few toughs.

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