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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Will the U.S. let Bolivians choose?

Bolivia had their elections on Sunday and as RD Hale posted on Twitter, his summary makes the last few of Bolivia's years fairly clear:

1.  Bolivia democratically elected socialists
2. U.S. wanted Bolivia’s lithium
3. Socialists said “no”
4. U.S. claimed fraudulent elections
5. U.S. overthrew socialists
6. Evidence showed U.S. lied
7. Socialist won GE [general elections] again
8. Imperialism lost

Aymara women - photo Shutterstock licensed

We in Nicaragua are watching Bolivia carefully, because the current Nicaraguan government calls itself democratic, Christian socialists.  The U.S. has actively been trying to overthrow Nicaragua’s democratically elected government.  And in 2021 when Nicaragua will have its general elections, the U.S. State Department has a plan to intervene in the elections, and if that does not work, foster a social coup using gangs. 


But let me go back to Bolivia. Evo Morales was one of the few indigenous people (identifying with the Aymara peoples) to ever become a head of state in modern times.  He was president for 14 years until 2019.  When he speaks, he is soft spoken but passionate regarding the poor and Bolivia…and he is indeed a socialist.  Bolivia’s indigenous population makes up 68% of the whole, while the wealthy and powerful white population only makes up 20%.  The indigenous population has been extremely oppressed even to the point of being called “savages” and kept poor.  38.6% of the population of Bolivia lives on lessthan $2/day.


Evo Morales - former Bolivian President - photo Shutterstock licensed

In November 2019, Pres. Morales resigned and left Bolivia after a coup sponsored by the U.S.  He went to Mexico because he said that there was a $50,000 price put on his head by “coup plotters” and he left so “there would be no more bloodshed.”


 Jeanine Áñez, interim president and an evangelical, took over and called the Aymara peoples “satanic” and called their worship “satanic rites” in tweets that she then deleted.  This is in a nation of 76.8% Catholics, 8.1% evangelical and Pentecostal, 7.9% protestant.  Strange.


On Sunday, Bolivia had another election, Luis Arce won with no need for a run-off.  He is with the Movement for Socialism, the party of Pres. Morales.  Obviously, the majority of the nation wants socialism…the question is “Will the United States allow them to have what they want?”


Luis Arce - Bolivian President Elect - photo Shutterstock licensed

Which is a HUGE concern for Nicaragua, if Pres. Ortega wins again…will the U.S. allow the will of the people to stand?  With the State Dept. leaked paper describing a plan, probably not.


At some point the U.S. will have to allow Latin Americans to have the right to their own determinations.  They will have to respect national sovereignty of other nations. 


AND the US government is going to have to look at socialism…or something…because the way things are going is bad for our own citizens.  Public Citizen posted a tweet: 

Federal Minimum wage:

2009 $7.29

2010 $7.29 
2011 $7.29 
2012 $7.29 
2013 $7.29 
2014 $7.29 
2015 $7.29 
2016 $7.29 
2017 $7.29 
2018 $7.29 
2019 $7.29 
2020 $7.29 

WHILE the 400 richest Americans have made: 

2009    $1,270,000,000,000 
2020    $3,200,000,000,000 

[Mic drop]

-Kathleen


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