[QatzelOk]

Bolivia president expels US aid agency



Bolivian president Evo Morales has expelled the US development agency from his country for allegedly seeking to undermine his leftist government.

Morales claimed on Wednesday that the USAID is involved with "alleged political interference in peasant unions and other social organisations."

He made the announcement before a crowd outside the presidential palace during a May Day rally.

"Never again, never again USAID, who manipulate and use our leaders, our colleagues with hand-outs," Morales said in announcing the expulsion.

He then ordered David Choquehuanca, Bolivia's foreign minister, to inform the US embassy of his decision.

The move marks the latest confrontation between Washington and a bloc of left-wing governments in the Western Hemisphere.

Morales also told the crowd that he "laments and is condemning" secretary of state John Kerry's remark, made in April 17 testimony to the US Congress, that "the Western Hemisphere is our backyard. It's critical to us."

"It has too often been viewed as a second thought. It shouldn't be. It's our backyard, neighborhood, as you say. I think there are relationships we could improve," Kerry said.

Many Latin Americans, leftists in particular, are sensitive to descriptions of their nations as a "backyard," especially because of Washington's history of backing repressive regimes in the Americas.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Philip Brenner, an international relations professor at the American University in Washington DC, said USAID became a target after its suspected role in encouraging secession in Santa Cruz, "a very wealthy part" of Bolivia.

Brenner said Bolivia's move signals to the US that "it does not have the same influence it used to have".."
...

Using aid organizations as cover for imperialism would do Machiavelli proud. It also makes a mockery of any moral "leadership" that Americans think their country provides anywhere on earth.

[Social_Critic]

I'm glad he forced Usaid out. I don't like to see my tax dollars spent on hostiles. I'd rather see it spent helping Chile and Paraguay.

[Figlio di Moros]

I hate to have to agree, but glad to see our aid out of Bolivia. Our aid usually comes with us asking neoliberal reforms, so it always ends with Loki getting to play the middle man. They crush their labor, we get cheap resources then ship jobs there; they end up without a living wage, we end up unemployed, and the corporation doubles it's margin.

[QatzelOk]

I hate to have to agree, but glad to see our aid out of Bolivia. Our aid usually comes with us asking neoliberal reforms, so it always ends with Loki getting to play the middle man. They crush their labor, we get cheap resources then ship jobs there; they end up without a living wage, we end up unemployed, and the corporation doubles it's margin.

Well, Figlio, you've got the "selfish reasons" angle covered.

But between your self-centered words and real-politic syntax, there's a suggestion that everyone on earth is connected. And this means that fake aid agencies that are really just front-men for capitalist tyranny are a bad thing - for everyone and everything.

[Social_Critic]

I don't know if its fake or not, but I don't think we should spend a penny helping countries like Bolivia. They'll be starving in due course and I sure hope the brazilians deal with the mess.

[Sithsaber]

Meh, they could always loot Santa Cruz and go back to living a predominately rural indigenous lifestyle under the guiding eye of Camarada Que. - As likely as Bolivians outright falling to mass starvation anytime soon.

[Figlio di Moros]

Well, Figlio, you've got the "selfish reasons" angle covered.

But between your self-centered words and real-politic syntax, there's a suggestion that everyone on earth is connected. And this means that fake aid agencies that are really just front-men for capitalist tyranny are a bad thing - for everyone and everything.

If we're connected, then does not opposing foreign aid because it's a guise for neoliberalism, qualify as both selfish and altruistic?

[Rei Murasame]

This thread is so many levels of awesome. Figlio and Qatz, both of you win completely, this is a great thread.

[Quantum]

Awesome. Most foreign aid just goes to corrupt governments so that their military can be propped up to easily facilitate the transfer of resources to the donor country.

[Social_Critic]

Meh, they could always loot Santa Cruz and go back to living a predominately rural indigenous lifestyle under the guiding eye of Camarada Que. - As likely as Bolivians outright falling to mass starvation anytime soon.

I suppose they could after 90 % of the population dies. The country lacks a sustainable path forward due to overpopulation in the highlands. The regime promised too much, and the current economic crisis in Venezuela means that money source has dried up. Did you see how many strikes the government faces? It's going to get a lot worse. Bolivia is a basket case and this is why I think it's better to withdraw aid and let them boil. The brazilians will have to deal with that mess when the refugee flow starts.

[Figlio di Moros]

Doesn't Bolivia have sovereign currency? That makes it pretty impossible to run out of money, and w/ Morales cutting his teeth over water utilities i doubt he'd have it otherwise.

[Social_Critic]

They could run out of paper to print money, I guess. Or they could run out of sacks to carry the money they use for groceries. Evo should talk to Mugabe to see how to reach 1000 % inflation.

[Far-Right Sage]

This may send our resident Social Critic into a tizzy, but it doesn't appear Morales and his supporters are going anywhere in the future of Bolivian politics:

Bolivia law lets Morales run for third term



The Bolivian vice president has signed into law a controversial constitutional amendment to allow President Evo Morales to run for a third term.

Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera signed the law on Monday in the presence of parliamentarians, members of the armed forces and representatives from Morales' party.

"President Evo Morales is constitutionally permitted to run for re-election in 2015," said Linera after signing the documents.

The Bolivian constitution says a president can only serve two terms, but last month Bolivia's Supreme Court ruled that Morales' first term did not count because the constitution was changed in his first four years.

Opposition leaders have said they will try to get the ruling overturned, despite Morales not officially stating whether he will run for a third term.

Morales became Bolivia's first indigenous president in 2006 and was re-elected in 2009 after amending the constitution.

His current term runs to 2015.

Morales, 53, would get 41 percent of the vote in a national election, according to a poll released last month. His closest rival, Samuel Doria Medina, would get 17 percent.

Morales is currently visiting the US, where he is to meet former president Jimmy Carter over the issue of sea access for the landlocked South American country.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/05/2013521517384962.html

[Social_Critic]

I'm not going into a tizzy. The court decision is unconstitutional. This serves as a lesson to the populations of nations having to choose between these closet autocrats and a more democratic candidate. If they choose to become slaves after they see these examples, it's their choice. I'm also hoping the sight of these countries destroyed in this fashion will spur the far right elites to behave more decently, so as to inoculate their countries from the perils of populism, Marxism, fascism and all the other bad guys.

[QatzelOk]

spur the far right elites to behave more decently, so as to inoculate their countries from the perils of populism, Marxism, fascism and all the other bad guys.

Yes, and maybe you can also encourage fleas to behave more decently to inoculate the dogs the infest from perils like flea powder.

[Social_Critic]

Oh no no no. They do learn. What do you think they do in places like Chile, Peru, Brazil and Mexico? They straighten out enough to move things forward and work hard to avoid falling into the evil claws of communists like Castro, who turn into fascists after they realize communism doesn't work, because...