Bolivia president pauses highway construction

[naaman fletcher]

Source: Al Jazeera

The planned construction of a highway through a national park and indigenous territory has been suspended by Bolivia's president after police clashed with demonstrators who have been marching for more than a month to protest against the plan.

Evo Morales announced his decision on Monday, hours after police released hundreds of activists who had blocked roads and stopped airport traffic in an attempt to prevent other arrested protesters from being taken out of the area.

"We repudiate the excesses yesterday at the march," Morales said, adding that a high-level commission including international representatives should be formed to investigate the crackdown.

One young child reportedly died as a result of tear gas inhalation.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/09/20119278844472501.html

[Enrique]

1. cabinet official resigned over the crackdown

...Earlier on Monday, Cecilia Chacon, Bolivia's defence minister, resigned in protest against the crackdown, increasing pressure on Morales over his handling of the situation.

As a result of the crackdown, several people suffered minor injuries, according to local media reports, which was criticised by opposition politicians, the ombudsman and several government officials.

"This is not the way! We agreed to do things differently," Chacon wrote in her resignation letter, which was published by Bolivian media on Monday...

[Bacchus39]

2. score one for the environment. more from AP

didn't Morales say that the protesters were being funded by the US?

http://news.yahoo.com/bolivia-president-suspends-construction-highway-022604836.html

President Evo Morales also distanced himself from the decision to break up a protest march Sunday. His announcement came hours after police released hundreds of activists when mobs of local people blocked roads and an airport to prevent the detainees from being taken out of the area.

[Peace Patriot]

3. Score one for the white racist opposition!

Morales is by far the best environmentalist of all world leaders. If the Morales government and democracy go down in Bolivia--which the U.S., transglobal corporations and the white racist opposition in Bolivia fervently want to happen--Bolivia's gas, lithium an other resources will be raped and the Indigenous protestors will be killed, as they are being in RW-run, U.S.-supported Colombia and Honduras.

[COLGATE4]

4. Have you ever set foot in Latin America?

[twitcher]

5. Indigenous lose either way

The indigenous people appear to be the main opposition in this case - the road is being built through their territory and through a National Park.
"In June, Morales angered activists by saying that the road would be built through the territory 'whether they like it or not'."
If Morales is by far the best environmentalist of all world leaders, the world is in trouble. No doubt he has been better for the indigenous than his predecessors, but the appetite for power and wealth exists in left wing governments, right wing governments, multi-national corporations and in individuals. Coca growers, loggers, miners, indigenous tribes, etc. - all have conflicting interests regardless of who is in power, and the indigenous seem to lose in most cases.

Check out this article about Ecuador…

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/06/201162995115833636.html

[Bacchus39]

6. the opposition to the highway are indigenous and Morales' actions not match his

rhetoric.

[COLGATE4]

7. and this comes as a surprise - why?

[Bacchus39]

8. not a surprise to me. Morales is full of it n/t

s

[Peace Patriot]

9. Like I said, this protest serves the RW white racists in Bolivia, RWers everywhere,

and U.S. transglobal (and also war profiteer) interests. Aside from Hugo Chavez, there is no leader whom the U.S. more wants to bring down than Evo Morales, particularly because of his environmentalism and strong stance global warming, so, this kind of dispute is made-to-order for slandering, demeaning and ultimately toppling one of the most progressive leaders in the world. This is not to say that the Indigenous do not have a righteous cause. This is to say that RWers are pissing in their pants with glee at the chance to dis Morales and have absolutely no interest in the environment or the success of progressive governments.