[News] Bolivia Under Evo Morales: 13 Years of Reclaiming Sovereignty

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://www.telesurenglish.net/analysis/Bolivia-Under-Evo-Morales-13-Years-of-Reclaiming-Sovereignty-20190123-0017.html 



  Bolivia Under Evo Morales: 13 Years of Reclaiming Sovereignty

January 23, 2019
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“Mr. Evo Morales, it’s easy to make speeches about sovereignty and 
independence....come and govern, then you’ll see what it’s really like 
to administer the state” - Carlos Mesa, former president, and current 
opposition candidate said in 2005 in his resignation speech.

Bolivia has lived 13 years of the ‘process of change’ under the 
leadership of Evo Morales and the MAS (Movement Towards Socialism). 
Morales and the MAS were forged in a climate of radical street movements 
against privatization of natural resources. The MAS grouped together 
Indigenous social movements, with self-organized movements of the urban 
slums and what remained of the traditional Marxist left in the trade 
unions and the academy.

By 2005 this coalition came to represent the crystallization of the 
deep-seated resentment, not just at privatization, but of 500 years of 
colonialism, social exclusion and a neoliberal democracy that wasn’t 
able or willing to meet people’s basic needs.

Bolivia’s social movements and non-sectarian left grouped around the MAS 
and won at the ballot box in 2005. In January of this year, they face 
primary elections than presidential elections in November of this year. 
They’ve won every election since 2005 with larger majorities each time, 
this despite a constant manipulation of public information from private 
media, and right-wing attempts at destabilization.

Why? What has 13 years of the ‘process of change’ meant for the country 
beyond greater representation for the Indigenous? On the questions of 
economic development, health and education, foreign policy the critics 
of the MAS have predicted disaster but instead been met by the 
undeniable policy success.


        *Economy *

*"These actions against foreign investors really dampen the investment 
climate in Bolivia”  - U.S. State Department said in 2012.*

Markets were jittery as the left took power in Bolivia. The Washington 
Consensus stated that only free markets, ‘flexible’ labor markets and 
monetarist policies could pave a path to economic development. Bolivia’s 
political class was determined to follow this religiously. Over 200 
public companies were privatized, sold to foreign corporations at 
knockdown prices, this alone is thought to have damaged the economy to 
the tune of $22bn. What followed was a catastrophic fall in GDP and 
hyperinflation running at over 8000% by the end of 1985.

Despite this clear policy failure, many investors left the country as 
the left took power in 2005, fearing that “socialism” would bring 
economic ruin.

Though, over 13 years the left has presided over an economic miracle 
that even the IMF has had to admit that Bolivia is a clear cut success 
story. The economy has more than tripled in size, Bolivia is on course 
to be South America’s fastest growing economy for yet another year 
despite falls in the price of key exports.

Annual Inflation is running at a paltry 1.5 percent, whilst their 
neighbor Argentina sinks further into hyperinflation since adopting the 
neoliberal model that earned them praise from successive U.S. 
administrations.

Most important of all, the reduction in poverty has been the most 
impressive achievement of the MAS. When Morales took office, Bolivia was 
facing a humanitarian crisis with 60 percent of the total population 
living below the poverty line, that figure has been slashed in half by 
the MAS government.

This economic model that has produced these results is defined as a 
rejection of IMF recipes. Instead, Morales proceeded to nationalize 
Bolivia’s large strategic industries. Now that profits of those 
industries provided revenue for the state, those profits were used on 
capital spending, most notably on a massive integrated infrastructure 
plan that has been a crucial factor stimulating wider growth. State 
transport and manufacturing initiatives have also kick-started economic 
development in areas the free-market had never reached.


        *Health & Education*

*“[The government] neglects health and education, while ignoring calls 
for austerity”- Monsignor Gualberti, Catholic Church*

A common refrain amongst Morales’ critics is that they’ve made little 
progress on health and education and that those vital services continue 
in state disrepair. One can expect this line to continue in the right 
wing media, even as the government is registering citizens for free 
universal healthcare.

It is true that Bolivia still until recently had lacked a comprehensive 
and public health system, as exists in Cuba. However, the situation in 
health and education has vastly improved, it’s just that it has mostly 
benefited the rural poor whose voices are not and have never been 
represented in the mainstream urban press.

Between 2006 and 2018, the ‘Mi Salud’ program, operating with the help 
of Cuban doctors, has provided 16.4 million free health appointments, 
including 700,000 free eye surgeries in what's known as ‘operation 
miracle’. These programmes involve reaching the poorest and most 
isolated, often going to their homes in far out areas of the Amazonian 
and Andean regions.

In education, the changes have been transformative too, not that it 
garners much coverage in private media. In the year 2000, amidst the 
firesale privatizations, just 35,73 percent of primary school age 
children were enrolled in school, after 10 years of the MAS in power, 
that number more than doubled, and continues to grow.

Again, those benefiting are mostly the rural poor, an inauguration 
ceremony for a public school in isolated communities is an almost weekly 
occurrence, though only covered by state media outlets.

Implementing the universal health care system will nevertheless be a 
serious challenge in Bolivia. The Doctors Association is vehemently 
opposed and already protested and gone on strike against the plan for 
free health. Most doctors would stand to lose as business for their 
private clinics dries up.


        *Sovereignty *

*“In our **view**this was a grave error. Blaming others for your 
internal problems is not the way to cultivate bilateral relations.” - 
Former U.S. ambassador Philip Goldberg on being expelled from the country*

The year 2003 was one of Bolivia’s worst years in recent history, not 
only was it the year of the ‘Black October’ massacre, but it was also 
one of the most brazen transfers of sovereignty to the U.S.. In 2003 an 
agreement was signed to give legal immunity to all U.S. soldiers and 
citizens in Bolivian territory, they had free reign to violate national 
laws and would not have to face justice unless it was at the request of 
the U.S. government.

The U.S. presence in Bolivia, through military advisors and bases, was 
part of Washington’s “War on Drugs” policy in the region that has 
historically allowed it access and interference in the internal affairs 
of Latin American countries.

In a rejection to such practices by the United States and in a clear 
signal that the people and their representatives will have full 
sovereignty over their country’s affairs and resources, Morales expelled 
the U.S. military bases in Bolivia, as well as the presence of the DEA 
and USAID along with the U.S. ambassador.

The country’s strategic industries were nationalized, therefore bringing 
back key decisions over development. Conventional wisdom would dictate 
that the size of U.S. investments in Bolivia mean that good relations 
must be maintained despite abuses and violations of sovereignty. Though, 
Bolivia has thrived since clawing back its independence.

The reactions in Bolivia to Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro 
gives a glimpse of how the country risks slipping back into a foreign 
policy of dependency. Bolivia sells large amounts of natural gas to 
Brazil and needs cooperation with them to combat trafficking and other 
issues on the border. Morales will have to maintain relations and has 
done so. However, he has been quick to stand up for Bolivia’s interests 
when there has been a lack of respect, like when one of Bolsonaro’s 
deputies made racists comments about Indigenous communities.

Evo publicly denounced the attack and demanded an apology. Whereas 
opposition candidates and activists claimed ‘we have to get on with our 
neighbors’. The deputy Rafael Quispe, an Indigenous deputy for the 
right-wing opposition claims to ‘not be offended’ by anti-Indigenous 
racism because ‘we have to get on with Brazil’. Opposition candidate to 
the presidency, Victor Hugo Cardenas (also Indigenous), actively 
celebrated Bolsonaro’s victory and seeks to replicate his 
ultra-conservative populism.

Submission to unequal foreign relations, whether that's the U.S. or 
Brazil, does not represent ‘good relations’, it represents a defeat and 
humiliation of a government's foreign policy.

Since taking power at the ballot box, the MAS has made profound changes 
to a country that had been in a state of ruin for a number of years 
following ‘structural adjustment’ (neoliberalism), and if Morales wins 
again this year then the process will have to deepen to overcome the 
challenges Bolivia still faces.

The role of the social movements and Morales’ government in recuperating 
a sense of cultural pride is recognized all over the world, as is the 
achievements on greater social inclusion for the country’s historically 
excluded communities.

Though, as the ‘process of change’ enters its 13th year, wider changes 
are worth analyzing. The process of recuperating economic and political 
sovereignty, together with the economic success that's been sustained 
despite the crisis across the region and the low prices of its key exports.

The model of nationalizing strategic sectors and using its revenues for 
big capital spending for the common good can serve as a model for the 
rising left globally. Whether for Jeremy Corbyn in Britain, or Jean 
Luc-Melenchon in France, studying the Bolivian model will be crucial in 
building post-neoliberal economies.

-- 
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