Archive for the ‘Bolivia’ Category
Bolivia’s New Constitution Passes
7:00 am By Maegan La Mala · Bolivia| Politics · Comments Off
26 Jan 2009
Most sources are saying that a referendum in Bolivia on a new constitution has passed. The new constitution would allow President Evo Morales to run for re-election and give greater power to the indigenous majority. Voters also decided on whether there should be a cap on future land ownership.
The count as of last night has the new constitution passing by anywhere from 57% to 62%.
Some voters opposing the measure are crying fraud and not surprisingly bringing up Venezuela. From Inca Kola News:
Branco Marinkovic: “(Bolivians have voted) without the guarantee of a transparent electoral process in the midst of a panorama of fraud; double carnetization and double registration of voters by this government with the financial help of Venezuela means nothing less than that. Be careful with your vote because there will be fraud, and ask eveeryone to be on the alert, as the audit of the lamentable OAS (Organization of American States, official overseers of the vote) is just a show and doesn’t mean anything.”
Via / France 24, Al Jazeera,
Bolivia, Venezuela Cut Israel Ties in Protest
15 Jan 2009
Democracy Now! is reporting that Boliva has become the latest government to speak out against Israel’s military incursion into Gaza:
Bolivia, Venezuela Cut Israel Ties in Protest
Bolivia and Venezuela, meanwhile, have cut diplomatic ties with Israel in protest of the Gaza assault. Bolivian President Evo Morales also backed calls for investigating Israeli leaders.
Bolivian President Evo Morales: “The most serious international crimes should not go unpunished. Any government can back the investigation and punishment of these crimes. Bolivia, a sovereign state that shows it is against violence and respects life, will work with other governments and humanitarian organizations to ask for an investigation in international court for the crimes committed in the Gaza Strip by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other members of the Israeli cabinet.”
I wonder what it is that makes me take Morales’s stance more seriously than Hugo Chavez. I (think) I trust where Morales is coming from in much the same way I (think) I trust Obama. I know that he’s, in the end, a political figure and prone to do really fucked up things the way all political figures are–but god, my faith in humanity would surge if just this once, a political figure would prove me wrong.
Evo Morales and Oliver Stone Share Some Coca
10:35 am By Maegan La Mala · Bolivia| Movies| Venezuela · Comments Off
14 Jan 2009
Why was Bolivia’s President Evo Morales doing chewing coca leaves and kicking a futbol around with U.S. filmmaker Oliver Stone? Talking about their bff Hugo Chavez.
Stone is working on a film about the Venezuelan president and was interviewing Morales.
Also, it just came through the Twittersphere that Morales is cutting diplomatic relations with Israel over what is happening in Gaza. More details as they come in.
Via / The Huffington Post
Bolivia and Venezuela : Get out Yanqui. Yanqui: No You Get Out!
9:06 am By Maegan La Mala · Bolivia| Politics| Venezuela · Comments Off
12 Sep 2008
Let the dick waving of imperial vs. Latin American politicos begin! Yesterday both Venezuela and Bolivia ordered the U.S. Ambassadors in their countries “fuera”.
Hugo Chavez accused the U.S. diplomat of conspiring against his government and saying he would also withdraw his own envoy from Washington immediately.
Chavez had been threatening to kick out U.S. diplomats for some time. Seems the straw that broke Hugito’s back was Bolivia’s expulsion of the U.S. Ambassador, accusing him of aiding violent protests that as of last night have claimed eight lives.
Via / The Latin Americanist, personal email
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales gets to keep being president after a referendum today.
Unofficial results and exit polls on Sunday indicated Evo Morales had secured more than 60 per cent of support with 80 per cent of the ballots counted.
Morales called for the referendum after the governors of various states voiced opposition to wealth distribution measures and the declaration of an autonomous state by one.
Via / Al Jazeera
Bolivia : Indigenous Communities and Helping Bloggers
11:00 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism| Blogs| Bolivia| Internet| Politics| language · Comments Off
29 Jul 2008Al-Jazeera has a really interesting video story about the struggles of the Indigenous communities against land/power owning mestizos and those of European descent.
I do have to question the choice of the opening sequence of the statue ripping out the heart of a European. Seems like the story is trying to link the current struggle as a continuation of a long history.
Bolivian Referendum Gives It’s Largest State Autonomy Amidst Protests
1:49 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bolivia| Politics · 1 Comment
5 May 2008
According to the most recent exit polls, a referendum in Santa Cruz, Bolivia has given that largest state autonomy from the central government. While supporters of the effort hit the streets to celebrate a victory, the election was colored by violence between the two sides. President Evo Morales declared the vote a failure.
This illegal and unconstitutional poll has not had the success that some families and groups in the state of Santa Cruz had hoped for,” Morales said.
The president said nearly 40 percent of eligible voters did not go to the polls — and that their absence amounted to a rejection of autonomy effort, which pits an eastern state rich in oil and natural gas with a central government led by a leftist president.
Bolivian Constitution Bans Gay Marriage
11:00 am By Maegan La Mala · Bolivia| Controversia| GLBT| society · 1 Comment
26 Dec 2007
There was much uproar in Bolivia late last month when it was announced that a new constitution was approved in that country. Among the amendments to the document was a stipulation that seemed to go unnoticed until now; one that writes discrimination into the constitution by defining marriage between a man and a woman.
The Bolivian LGBT community is outraged, while the Bolivian government defended itself saying they “haven’t received any requests” on the part of the gay community to include gay marriage as a right in the new constitution and alleges that such a proposal wouldn’t have gone anywhere since “Bolivian society is conservative”.
15 LGBT groups in Bolivia are fighting back with a document outlining their demands, among them the right to education and employment regardless of sexual orientation.
Via / Ambiente G and La Prensa (Bolivia)
Image via BoliviaGay.com
Bolivia’s First Foray into Citizen Journalism
1:59 pm By Maegan La Mala · Blogs| Bolivia| Latin America · Comments Off
19 Dec 2007
My friend Mariano Amartino over at the Clarin newspaper’s “Blog about Blogs” reports that Bolivia’s first citizen-produced online newspaper has just launched. It’s called AhoraBolivia.com.
Founded by two young journalists, the project — apparently the first of this kind in Bolivia — has a noble mission:
We want to, in a selfless and free way, create an authentic citizen newspaper in which the voices of the citizens of Bolivia may be heard; free voices and voices committed to freedom. Voices that create unity in a country rich in resources and culture.
As Latin American countries such as Bolivia continue to struggle through political strife, this is a refreshing departure from mainstream media’s reporting of the issues. Let’s hope this is just the first of many citizen journalism initiatives in Bolivia.
Via / Weblog Sobre Weblogs
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- Transgender Day of Remembrance and Latin@s
- Dear Troll(s):
- Puerto Rican, Latino Clergy, Theology Professors, Community Members To Condemn Brutal Hate Killing of Gay Puerto Rican Man
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