Just about a couple of years ago, Bolivians were at the urns to democratically elect those that will bring us the changes so much identified we needed to better or life, as a country, as citizens and as human beings. The people choose, wisely or not, to have a representative of the Bolivian poor and indigenous population as their president and the middle class, old politician guard, as their prefects, those creating a balance among our political power, a check valve from one to other.
Both groups delivered last Sunday, December 15, 2007; among much celebration, what will be held as the documents that would shape the future of the Country in the short time and will govern our next generations. Both papers couldn’t be the most opposite from each other, both are a failure of what people, the citizens of Bolivia, was requesting for them. Sadly, those that had the most power to do the right thing, the executive government, were the ones that failed completely and drove the rest towards total anarchy; history will take them accountable for their mischievous acts. The only similarity among both documents is that they were born in illegality; the huge differences among both documents are resumed bellow.
The maSSist new Bolivian Constitution was born among violence, among the blood of the social movements, with the deaths of citizens of Bolivia and among the breakage of civil and human rights of those that are a supposed minority in the country, minority only in paper; the one used to express the peoples votes in our last presidential elections. It involved irregularities, aggression and breakage of the law by the executive against the legislative, the judicial and the constituent assembly. It’s fruit was a paper that represent changes to the country, but not the new, renovate, fresh changes the majority of Bolivians were asking for; in it’s intent to take us 500 years ago it only takes us 50 years ago, at the same level than the post agrarian revolution era, given more power to the executive, as if only one man could solve all our problems; its outdated nationalism delivers a recipe of economic failure, its asphyxiate centralism is the same of the pre Evo era and even worst, renovates racism and has no checks to defend the minorities; it actually empowers the abuse of the majority by declaring the use of simple majority of votes to elaborate or change laws.
The other text, the Santa Cruz Autonomic Statute was born under consent of more than 2/3 of the regional leaders, without violence, without deaths and until its declaration, following all laws of the country; its earlier than expected pronouncement was, with no doubt a response to the brutality of the executive power, clearly indicating to them that the use of violence and anarchy will only bring more violence and anarchy; living in peace and harmony is the best way, but defending what is right sometimes will take returning a blow, as it happen in Cochabamba and Sucre this year. This document really reflects changes, it has a lot of what we, as citizens were looking for, it diminished the power of the one person in command at the executive seat, taking away from him/her the possibility to veto the legislative, only allowing this power to pass any new or changed law to the judicial power if encounter any issue associate with it. The 2/3 of the votes for legislation and the naming off several different types of governmental positions is present all over the document; dose given the minorities a saying on the ways of the region. It clearly says it will respect and obey the 1948 declaration of human rights, not just the rights of the indigenous people. It clearly gives a seat in the legislative to each of the regions indigenous groups, giving them more presence per capita than to the rest of the population, a way of compensating their status as minorities. And most important of all, it clearly recognizes the majority mixture, mestizaje, of the regional and Bolivian population; taking any possibility of giving more rights to one side of the population in base of race.
There is still a long way to see which of these documents, if any, will be approved by the Bolivian population and if there will be any opposition from the groups on power to respect the vote of the citizens, if they ever happen. It’s still sad for us within the social movements that do respect democracy, to have to live and taste the reborn of our society among illegality, it gives a sense to be some kind of “bastards”; but as always happened to this country, we survive making the best out of adversity; we just where hoping this time was going to be different, the irony; so much for wanting to change.
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7 comments:
Libre, the way a see it the best form to solve this problem in the country is going to the referendums; there is no way the referendums in the regions fighting for autonomy are going to loose, and if properly managed, Evo’s Constitution will not win a Country level poll. Why should it be so difficult to swallow that possibility? If the Altiplano want’s to be pulled down 500 years, let them be, it’s their decision.
Macaco, there is an incongruence in your post, first you say that there is little chance Evo’s, I prefer to call it the maSSist constitution is going to win, which I concord; but latter on you said that we should let the altiplano people be; if they are pulled back 500 years, which could only happened if the maSSist constitution is approved. In that case all free Bolivians are screwed.
My problem is exactly that, the possibility that a constitution, which is the document we should use to base all or future and our children’s and possible grand children’s future could be approved by only 50% plus one of the population, you know? 49.9% is still a lot of people. I wouldn’t have that much a problem if the changes in the constitution we will go vote for would have the 2/3 votes of the people we choose to represent us. But no, this constitution is written by Evo and a few of his very racist collaborators, we are talking about a group the in their best times had only 47% of the total votes of the population, Evo’s 53% is only measured over the valid votes.
In addition, nothing ensures me there will be no more violence if the maSSist constitution go to the polls, If they win or loose, will they accept for the other documents to go to referendum? I seriously doubt it; specially since the one they really care about, the one from Santa Cruz, could be deemed unconstitutional if not approved a new constitution, and will have to be changed to fit the maSSist constitution shall it wins, since no document can be over the constitution.
Hello! Boquita and poto, do you turned Anglophones to avoid defeat in a debate in Spanish?
If your heads already salio shooting by the butt in his US trip. You can catch your unwary between Anglophones?
You think are your Take pills square, but your depositions for which you paid, the sleeve of thieves and corrupt Bolivia, those who have been permanently in the government. That now see a danger in changing initiated not by Evo Morales and his party, but by an entire people mobilized.
Bolivia is in the process of being free from oligarchs, loggias and sell homelands.
These are changes, real changes
¡Hola! Boquita y poto, ¿te tornaste angloparlante para evitar derrotas en un debate en español?
Si a tus jefes ya les salio el tiro por la culata en su periplo por EEUU. Podrás tu pescar incautos entre los angloparlantes?
Crees que se tragaran tus píldoras cuadradas, sino tus deposiciones por las que te pagan, la manga de ladrones y corruptos del Bolivia, aquellos que han estado permanentemente en el gobierno. Que ahora ven un peligro en el cambio iniciado, no por Evo Morales y su partido, sino por todo un pueblo movilizado.
Bolivia esta en proceso de ser libre de oligarcas, logias y vende patrias
.....Anglophone?? Take pills square??
Uh.... Abril, ¿es posible que estás meramente enojada que no puedes participar en un debate en inglés?
Estoy irritada por todas estas imputaciónes contra BL. ¿Dónde está la evidencia? Sólo oigo insultos y reclamaciónes infundadas. Sin lógica, no hay debates verdaderos en ninguna lengua.
Sí, Anglophone es una palabra; pero nadie comprenderála. Usa "English speaker".
For me the MAS constitution has been drafted without considering the majority of Bolivians.
MAS had the draft in August 07, if the opposition would had denied the prolongation, MAS would have presented it in the 1 or 2 days they used in December 07.
MAS already knew in August; that they would need illegality, ilegitamy, and political foul play to accomplish their dreamed constitution.
From August to December, I only heard from MAS the things morando spits..."Bolivia is in the process of being free from oligarchs, loggias and sell homelands"
MAS wants for the uneducated to believe that the country was governed by olligarchs (or whites from Santa Cruz), loggias (or whites from Santa Cruz), or sell homelands (or whites from Santa Cruz).
Unfortunately, this country is full of uneducated people, and it will soon collect the COST of having an uneducated country.
It is no sorprise to me, that most of the educated people I talk with, are against MAS doings in this 2007.
I don´t need to talk to the uneducated, just need to hear them on the news...cocaleros, peasants, and of course, college students from the public universities that are in college 10 years to just do that...politics.
At the same time, I see that what Santa Cruz is trying to do is to create FEDERALISM.
I don´t see how can they do it LEGALLY. I can see it has LEGITIMACY since most cambas want DEPARTAMENTAL autonomy (not regional one).
Under Bolivian current constitution, I don´t see how can it be granted what Santa Cruz wants...even if 90% of them approve the Santa Cruz referendum.
That would be something for Libre to explain us...how would Santa Cruz win Autonomy with today´s current constitution??
Poncho Asustado
Para mí la constitución del MAS se ha elaborado sin la consideración de la mayoría de bolivianos.
El MAS tenía el bosquejo en el 7 de agosto, si la oposición hubiera negado la prolongación, el MAS la habría presentado en los 1 o 2 días que utilizaron en el 7 de diciembre.
El MAS sabía ya en agosto; que necesitarían la ilegalidad, ilegitamy, y el juego sucio político lograr su constitución soñada.
A partir de agosto a diciembre, oí solamente del MAS que las escupidas… “Bolivia del morando de las cosas están en curso de estar libres de oligarcas, de las logias y de las patrias de la venta”
El MAS quiere para el inculto creer que el país fue gobernado por los olligarchs (o los blancos de Santa Cruz), las logias (o los blancos de Santa Cruz), o las patrias de la venta (o los blancos de Santa Cruz).
Desafortunadamente, este país es lleno de gente inculta, y pronto recogerá el COSTE de tener un país inculto.
No es ninguÌn sorprise a mí, de que la mayor parte de la gente educada que hablo con, estoy contra actividades del MAS en este 2007.
La necesidad del don´t I de hablar con el inculto, apenas la necesidad de oírlo en los cocaleros de las noticias…, campesinos, y por supuesto, los estudiantes universitarios de las universidades públicas que son en universidad 10 años a apenas hacen eso… política.
Al mismo tiempo, veo que qué Santa Cruz está intentando hacer es crear FEDERALISMO.
El don´t I considera cómo pueden lo hacen LEGALMENTE. Puedo ver que tiene LEGITIMIDAD puesto que la mayoría de los cambas quieren la autonomía de DEPARTAMENTAL (la no regional).
Bajo constitución actual boliviana, el don´t de I considera cómo puede ser concedido qué Santa Cruz quiere… incluso si el _ 90 de ellos aprueba el referéndum de Santa Cruz.
¿Ése sería algo para que Libre nos explique… cómo es que santa cruz ganaria su autonomia con la constitucion actual boliana??
Poncho Asustado
Poncho, the idea of autonomies doesn’t exist in the current Bolivian constitutions, much less the idea of Federalism; the best way to have it is by changing the constitution.
In the other hand, not having the word autonomy in the constitution doesn’t mean you cannot have it; the executive power can give it willingly in those departments where an autonomy referendum was positive. It might sound crazy or impossible, but that exact figure happened to the latested designation of the Prefects; the political pressure was such that the executive power accepted to have a law where the President was obligated to design the Prefect who was elected by vote, so he, Evo did. He can actually fire all of them and appoint new ones but he will not survive the ordeal.
Never the less, again, we do need to change the constitution to improve as a Country, there is no question about it; to bad the great opportunity was wasted by the imperialistic desires of a few ones, indulged by the petrodollars of another king wan to be.
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