The Latin America thread

[TheHowieLama]

4 minutes ago, polymerpunkah said:

.

 

Pretty sure Morales has more than the average bear tucked away if that is what you are asking.

[SasaS]

9 minutes ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

It's complicated. I was born in Brasil but we moved to Bolivia when I was 7. I have Brasilian citizenship but not Bolivian, though I think of myself as Bolivian as I spent most of my formative years there.

 

As for the whole debate on what's going on, I think it's clear that there was no good solution to the problem. Morales is gone - that is good. The question now is who is going to take over, and how long before we have real elections?

 

If it goes badly, then I suppose it will turn into a coup. If, for example, elections are not held promptly, or if they are ignored or manipulated, then the word "coup" is probably fair. If, however, as I and all Bolivians hope, the elections are called promptly and they are carried out without vote-rigging, then I think "coup" isn't the right word.

 

For right now, I don't care about any of it - who becomes president, what major power they're in the pocket of, none of it. For me, right now, the only thing I care about is the safety of my mother. She is a tough woman, been through a LOT in her life, so suffice it to say that I was alarmed in the extreme when she sent me her updated last will and testament last night.

 

I tried to call but couldn't get through, then on Whatsapp she said that armed gangs are taking advantage of the chaos and lack of police presence (all the police are distracted by the protests and riots) to move through neighborhoods terrorising people and looting. People have died, homes have been burned, and a lot of families have lost everything.

 

Apparently the men at the school where she teaches organised a defense of the school, so she stayed there to wait out the night with the other teachers. Twice violent gangs actually attacked (trying to get in to steal everything in the school) but when the men went out to confront them with clubs and machetes, they backed down and went off to look for an easier target.

 

I was able to get a message from her this morning with all of that info, and the fact that everyone in the school is OK. The interim president is promising to activate the National Guard to patrol the streets and restore order. My hope is that for everyday Bolivians, life will return to normal as quickly as possible and they will be safe.

Thanks for the update. I do hope your mother will be OK.

[Strontium]

57 minutes ago, polymerpunkah said:

Is there any suggestion that he's squirreled away a load of ill-gotten gains in foreign bank accounts?

 

That might give an alternate explanation for why he fled so abruptly.

 

Alleged to have embezzled $6.8m from a fund for indigenous people.

[Bjornebye]

1 hour ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

It's complicated. I was born in Brasil but we moved to Bolivia when I was 7. I have Brasilian citizenship but not Bolivian, though I think of myself as Bolivian as I spent most of my formative years there.

 

As for the whole debate on what's going on, I think it's clear that there was no good solution to the problem. Morales is gone - that is good. The question now is who is going to take over, and how long before we have real elections?

 

If it goes badly, then I suppose it will turn into a coup. If, for example, elections are not held promptly, or if they are ignored or manipulated, then the word "coup" is probably fair. If, however, as I and all Bolivians hope, the elections are called promptly and they are carried out without vote-rigging, then I think "coup" isn't the right word.

 

For right now, I don't care about any of it - who becomes president, what major power they're in the pocket of, none of it. For me, right now, the only thing I care about is the safety of my mother. She is a tough woman, been through a LOT in her life, so suffice it to say that I was alarmed in the extreme when she sent me her updated last will and testament last night.

 

I tried to call but couldn't get through, then on Whatsapp she said that armed gangs are taking advantage of the chaos and lack of police presence (all the police are distracted by the protests and riots) to move through neighborhoods terrorising people and looting. People have died, homes have been burned, and a lot of families have lost everything.

 

Apparently the men at the school where she teaches organised a defense of the school, so she stayed there to wait out the night with the other teachers. Twice violent gangs actually attacked (trying to get in to steal everything in the school) but when the men went out to confront them with clubs and machetes, they backed down and went off to look for an easier target.

 

I was able to get a message from her this morning with all of that info, and the fact that everyone in the school is OK. The interim president is promising to activate the National Guard to patrol the streets and restore order. My hope is that for everyday Bolivians, life will return to normal as quickly as possible and they will be safe.

Bloody hell mate. Hope she is ok. 

[moof]

 

 

so glad they got rid of Morales, now Bolivians can live in peace with a healthy dose of good ol’ democracy

[Bjornebye]

 

"It is clear that the main threat to Mother Earth, Peace and Freedom is the government of the USA" - Evo Morales

 

Sounds like they need some Freedom

 

 

 

 

 

[moof]

Btw, the irony of certain people using “he overturned a referendum result” to paint morales as some kind of tyrant should not be lost on anybody 

[moof]

Listen to Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington for a reasonable analysis of the situation 

[Bjornebye]

4 minutes ago, moof said:

Btw, the irony of certain people using “he overturned a referendum result” to paint morales as some kind of tyrant should not be lost on anybody 

Fake news, slander, Dave etc etc 

[Strontium]

27 minutes ago, moof said:

Btw, the irony of certain people using “he overturned a referendum result” to paint morales as some kind of tyrant should not be lost on anybody 

 

I think people have been mainly using the massive election fraud as a stick to beat him with. But you keep hammering away at those straw men.

[aRdja]

28 minutes ago, moof said:

Btw, the irony of certain people using “he overturned a referendum result” to paint morales as some kind of tyrant should not be lost on anybody 

Haha. Touché.

[aRdja]

Yikes

 

 

[Strontium]

17 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

Yikes

 

 

 

Today's hot take: if you don't support electoral fraud you're a Nazi.

[Bjornebye]

1 minute ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

Today's hot take: if you don't support electoral fraud you're a Nazi.

Idiot. 

[aRdja]

2 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

Today's hot take: if you don't support electoral fraud you're a Nazi.

Happy for you to defend them if you so choose SD, bit odd though.

[Strontium]

3 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

Happy for you to defend them if you so choose SD, bit odd though.

 

Don't be a dickhead. Anyone who conflates democracy campaigners with Nazis is a fuckwit.

 

Or are you saying you believe people who rig ballots should be allowed to stay in power?

[TheHowieLama]

38 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

Yikes

 

 

Yes, not milkshakes down there

[aRdja]

35 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

Don't be a dickhead. Anyone who conflates democracy campaigners with Nazis is a fuckwit.

 

Or are you saying you believe people who rig ballots should be allowed to stay in power?

How was I being a dickhead? I’m just not super comfortable with a group of right wing thugs staging a coup against an indigenous leader. Doubly wary after seeing the same thugs mimicking nazi salutes. I’m happy for you to disagree with me in this.

[moof]

I would just like to point out claims of election rigging and fraud are completely unsubstantiated as of right now 

[moof]

32 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

Don't be a dickhead. Anyone who conflates democracy campaigners with Nazis is a fuckwit.

 

Or are you saying you believe people who rig ballots should be allowed to stay in power?

Democracy campaigners. You really are a fucking joke 

[Jairzinho]

[Strontium]

40 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

How was I being a dickhead? I’m just not super comfortable with a group of right wing thugs staging a coup against an indigenous leader. Doubly wary after seeing the same thugs mimicking nazi salutes. I’m happy for you to disagree with me in this.

 

Morales was asked to stand down by a bunch of people, including the Bolivian equivalent of the TUC. We're really through the looking glass if they're going to be described as right-wing thugs.

 

Also, you didn't answer my question.

[Bjornebye]

6 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

Morales was asked to stand down by a bunch of people, including the Bolivian equivalent of the TUC. We're really through the looking glass if they're going to be described as right-wing thugs.

 

Also, you didn't answer my question.

You don't know much really do you. Just following a twat of a lib-dems argument on twitter. 

[moof]

33 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Supoib

[SasaS]

Didn't Morales himself came to power after leading mass protests against the president which then stepped down so the elections could be held?
 

Still don't understand the sudden flight to Mexico.