Pubdate: Fri, 12 Oct 2007
Source: New Statesman (UK)
Copyright: 2007 New Statesman
Contact:  http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1067
Author: Amancay Colque

THE RESISTANCE CONTINUES

NS marks Indigenous Resistance Day with an article from Bolivian
Campaigner Amancay Colque, who explains why the Evo Morales government
is in confrontation with the 'establishment'

October 12th traditionally was celebrated as the anniversary of
Columbus' "discovery" of the Americas. For the indigenous peoples of
the continent, this "discovery" meant hundreds of years of genocide
and misery. Now the day has been reclaimed as the "Day of Indigenous
Resistance" in Venezuela and Bolivia, two countries with presidents of
indigenous descent who are refusing to toe Washington's line.

Back in 1992, governments in Europe and the American continent were
busy organizing the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Columbus'
arrival. In Bolivia the indigenous population, who at the same time
were statistically the poorest in the country, were busy organising
and resisting attacks from the neoliberal government

In 1995 a new political party, MAS IPSP, was formed in response to the
government of the time blindly following instructions from the IMF and
World Bank. For instance, the policy for the eradication of the coca
leaf came directly from the US government, and was a direct attack on
the cocaleros, indigenous peasants who live in the most deprived areas
of the country. Natural resources were privatised and state-owned
companies sold off at ridiculously low prices. Trade unions, students
and indigenous peasants resisted, but everything seemed to be in vain.

Indigenous people on the continent were aware that wealth would only
attract trouble for the indigenous population. Humboldt wrote in his
diary in 1910, during his expedition to Latin America, when speaking to
an indigenous cacique in Cajamarca:  "I asked him: you are poor, aren't
you tempted to excavate this land to discover treasures? He answered
calmly: 'We live in misery but we are tranquil. If we had trees and
fruits of gold, we would be hated and persecuted.' I admired this
indigenous moderation and my eyes filled up with tears."

For Europe, the new continent meant opportunities to accumulate wealth
and expand territory, for the indigenous population it meant genocide
and exploitation. The only resistance possible was survival. Our
continent did not flourish and develop despite the natural wealth,
wealth that is still yearned for.

In April 2000, after US engineering company Bechtel took over the
state water company, water costs rose 300%, ending in a revolt now
called the Water War, when city dwellers and indigenous people joined
forces to reclaim the water. The unthinkable became reality, the poor,
the underdeveloped, the powerless recovered their voice and their
strength, because they had managed to unite. Their unity came under
one single banner: "The water is ours".

This event changed the direction in which the continent was moving -
if water can be recovered, why can't we recover our natural resources?
Why can't we recover our own government? The 2002 elections should
have brought the MAS party and Evo Morales to government, instead it
was stolen by political rigging and given to Goni Sanchez de Lozada.
Goni fled the country after mass mobilisations to oust him following
the massacre of 67 people and the wounding of 400 in the city of El
Alto in October 2003. He is currently hiding in the US.

In December 2005 Evo Morales-MAS won the elections with 54% of the
vote. The demands of the people in October 2003 were the
renationalisation of the hydrocarbons industry, a constituent assembly
to re-write the constitution so as to reflect people's wishes, such as
land reform and education as well as the extradition and trial of Goni.

The implementation of these demands, which are demands of the people,
has put the Evo Morales government in direct confrontation with the
powerful establishment. Despite all the criticism, the nationalisation
of the hydrocarbons industry took place in May 2006, much to the
dismay of the business community, who claimed that Bolivia was making
a huge mistake and all companies would rather leave than pay more for
gas and oil. A year later and the companies are still there and are
trying to sign more contracts.

Bolivia is not a developed country, for this reason most of our
natural resources are exported, but we still have something to which
Humboldt was referring when he said that we were "beggars sitting in a
chair of gold". He wasn't just referring to natural resources, he was
referring to our human resources, as Evo Morales put it in an
interview: "I am convinced that indigenous people are the moral
reserve of humanity."
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MAP posted-by: Derek