It should be clear to anyone keeping track of the news that the coup in Bolivia has no legitimacy, at least if they've checked alternative media; however some people that rely primarily on the mainstream media might not know the full story since there are significant number of politicians supporting it already, and the media is trying to avoid calling it what it is!
This should be considered vital for all of us, because it indicates that we have an international oligarchy suppressing democratic rights and threatening to derail major reforms, including those needed to address Climate Change which are threatening us all, although this isn't mentioned by traditional media and often by many alternative media outlets either.
There was never any doubt that Evo Morales was in the lead; the only question was if he had enough votes to avoid a run-off which would require either 50% of the vote plus one or 40% with 10% more than the runner-up, which he did as described in the following report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research indicates:
What Happened in Bolivia’s 2019 Vote Count?
The Role of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission November 2019
On October 20, 2019, Bolivia held presidential and parliamentary elections. Nine presidential candidates competed in the presidential election. However, well before the electoral campaign began, polling indicated that the election was likely to be a two-way race between incumbent president Evo Morales of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS-IPSP), and former president Carlos Mesa of Comunidad Ciudadana (CC).
There are potentially two rounds in Bolivia’s presidential elections. A candidate receiving either more than 50 percent of the vote, or at least 40 percent with a 10 percentage point lead over the runner-up in the first round, is declared the winner. If no candidate meets either of these requirements, the two candidates with the most votes must face each other in a runoff election.
On October 25, Bolivia’s electoral authority, the Tribunal Supremo Electoral, or TSE, published the final official election results. Morales had obtained 2,889,359 votes, or 47.08 percent, to Mesa’s 2,240,920 votes, or 36.51 percent. Morales’s 648,439-vote lead gave him a 10.5 percentage point margin and therefore a first-round victory without the need for a runoff. Complete article
The Role of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission November 2019
On October 20, 2019, Bolivia held presidential and parliamentary elections. Nine presidential candidates competed in the presidential election. However, well before the electoral campaign began, polling indicated that the election was likely to be a two-way race between incumbent president Evo Morales of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS-IPSP), and former president Carlos Mesa of Comunidad Ciudadana (CC).
There are potentially two rounds in Bolivia’s presidential elections. A candidate receiving either more than 50 percent of the vote, or at least 40 percent with a 10 percentage point lead over the runner-up in the first round, is declared the winner. If no candidate meets either of these requirements, the two candidates with the most votes must face each other in a runoff election.
On October 25, Bolivia’s electoral authority, the Tribunal Supremo Electoral, or TSE, published the final official election results. Morales had obtained 2,889,359 votes, or 47.08 percent, to Mesa’s 2,240,920 votes, or 36.51 percent. Morales’s 648,439-vote lead gave him a 10.5 percentage point margin and therefore a first-round victory without the need for a runoff. Complete article
Mark Weisbrot one of the authors of this report explains how this was misrepresented in the media and the Organization of American States in this article How OAS Deception Helped the Coup in Bolivia, 11/19/2019 where he says "there was an interruption in the vote count at 84% of votes tallied and Evo was ahead by 7.9%, and then vote, the tally resumed… And by the way, this is not even the official tally, so we shouldn’t even really be arguing that much about it because it doesn’t count for anything. It’s just a quick count that’s done to let people know what’s going on as the votes are coming in. And they don’t tell you that either in most of these… In almost none of these articles do they even tell you that this isn’t even the official count, and the official count was never even interrupted."
Weisbrot goes on to explain that once they misrepresented this they repeated it over and over again and that it wasn't the first time they had done something like this. The OAS had also interfered with Haiti's elections and numerous other countries. It's hard to imagine why they would go to such extremes to overthrow democratic governments, but that has been a pattern of behavior, and the leading motive is, presumably greed and thirst for power, as most people seem to believe; however, this is also threatening efforts around the world to reverse the impact from climate Change, which Evo Morales and leaders of other third world countries has spoken in favor, but the Trump administration and some of the right wing dictatorships including Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil who doesn't seem to want to take action to reverse Climate Change any more than Donald Trump and many of the oil companies profiting from it.
Even if you accept that it was less than ten percent lead then the reasonable demand should have been a run-off which Evo probably would have won; however the right wing responded by organizing violence riots intimidating Morales supporters, and the majority of the traditional media doesn't appear to have covered this adequately as described in the following article from Fairness and Accuracy in reporting which is followed by another one by Caitlin Johnstone:
Western Media Whitewash Bolivia’s Far-Right Coup 11/15/2019 by Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz
Bolivia has a new US-backed puppet leader, and the Western media can hardly conceal their adulation.
Jeanine Áñez declared herself “interim president” in a near-empty Senate chamber on November 12, proceeding to don the presidential sash with the assistance of uniformed soldiers. Despite a lack of quorum rendering the move nakedly unconstitutional, Áñez was immediately recognized by the Trump administration and 10 Downing Street.
Tuesday’s scene seemed like a parody of January’s events in Venezuela, in which a virtually unknown lawmaker, invoking highly dubious constitutional arguments, proclaimed himself “interim president” to the delight of Washington.
For all the supposed threat Trump represents and the enthusiasm sparked by his possible impeachment, Western media continue to march lockstep behind his administration’s coups in Latin America.
Áñez has been sympathetically described as a “qualified lawyer” (BBC, 11/13/19), a “proud Christian” (France 24, 11/13/19) as well as a “women’s rights activist and television presenter” (Time, 11/12/19). Reuters (11/13/19) called her “Bolivian Interim President Jeanine Áñez,” AP (11/13/19) had her as “Bolivia’s newly declared interim president,” whereas for the BBC (11/13/19) she was simply “President Áñez.” AFP (published in France 24, 11/13/19) described her as “the South American country’s 66th president and the second woman to hold the post.”
This language mirrors corporate media profiles of Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaidó (FAIR.org, 7/23/19), who was depicted as a “freedom fighter” (Fox Business, 1/29/19) and a “salsa-loving baseball fan” (Reuters, 1/23/19) who had “captured the heart of the nation” (New York Times, 3/4/19). References to Guaidó as “president,” however, have dwindled in the face of his repeated failure to seize power (FAIR.org, 7/23/19). Complete article
Bolivia has a new US-backed puppet leader, and the Western media can hardly conceal their adulation.
Jeanine Áñez declared herself “interim president” in a near-empty Senate chamber on November 12, proceeding to don the presidential sash with the assistance of uniformed soldiers. Despite a lack of quorum rendering the move nakedly unconstitutional, Áñez was immediately recognized by the Trump administration and 10 Downing Street.
Tuesday’s scene seemed like a parody of January’s events in Venezuela, in which a virtually unknown lawmaker, invoking highly dubious constitutional arguments, proclaimed himself “interim president” to the delight of Washington.
For all the supposed threat Trump represents and the enthusiasm sparked by his possible impeachment, Western media continue to march lockstep behind his administration’s coups in Latin America.
Áñez has been sympathetically described as a “qualified lawyer” (BBC, 11/13/19), a “proud Christian” (France 24, 11/13/19) as well as a “women’s rights activist and television presenter” (Time, 11/12/19). Reuters (11/13/19) called her “Bolivian Interim President Jeanine Áñez,” AP (11/13/19) had her as “Bolivia’s newly declared interim president,” whereas for the BBC (11/13/19) she was simply “President Áñez.” AFP (published in France 24, 11/13/19) described her as “the South American country’s 66th president and the second woman to hold the post.”
This language mirrors corporate media profiles of Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaidó (FAIR.org, 7/23/19), who was depicted as a “freedom fighter” (Fox Business, 1/29/19) and a “salsa-loving baseball fan” (Reuters, 1/23/19) who had “captured the heart of the nation” (New York Times, 3/4/19). References to Guaidó as “president,” however, have dwindled in the face of his repeated failure to seize power (FAIR.org, 7/23/19). Complete article
FAIR goes on to describe her racists comments among other things which is confirmed in the Wikipedia page for Jeanine Áñez Chávez (retrieved on 11/21/2019) which says
Her senior ministers included prominent business people from Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Her government did not include any members of the indigenous peoples in Bolivia, which The Guardian described as a sign that she did "not intend to reach across the country's deep political and ethnic divide." Her designated interior minister vowed to "hunt down" his predecessor, which reportedly stroked fears of a "witch-hunt" against members of Morales' administration.[23] She further stated that Morales would not be permitted to run in an upcoming election for a fourth term, should he return to Bolivia.[24][25]
In the face of protests against the interim government, Áñez called for police to restore order and, on 14 November, issued a decree that would exempt the military from any type of criminal responsibility when maintaining order.[26][27] On 15 November, security forces fired upon protesting coca farmers in Cochabamba, resulting in nine deaths, with dozens more injured.[26]......
Through social media, Áñez has made remarks[39] towards indigenous peoples that have been described as "racist" by The Guardian,[40] "anti-indigenous" by the Agence France-Press,[41] and "provocative" by the New York Times.[42] Around 41% of the population of Bolivia identifies itself as indigenous.[42] On Twitter, she called the Aymara people's New Year celebration "satanic" and said that "nobody can replace God", and has implied that indigenous people were not genuine for wearing shoes.[41][36]
As an un-elected leader she's declared that the person chosen by 47% of the people, more than 10% more than the runner up, can't run for office, and she's giving the police immunity to use violence against those protesting against her government after she rose to power as a result of violence protest.
There can be no justification for this, yet the media and numerous governments including Trump have accepted her as a legitimate interim president! Bernie Sanders came out and called it what it is, a coup; Elizabeth Warren seems to be hedging saying The Bolivian people deserve free and fair elections, as soon as possible. Bolivia's interim leadership must limit itself to preparing for an early, legitimate election. Bolivia's security forces must protect demonstrators, not commit violence against them. 11/18/2019 without questioning how she rose to power in the first place or calling it a coup, as Sanders did.
Caitlin Johnstone also exposed some of the media bias and pointed out a possible motive when she reminded people that Evo Morales called out the United States for supporting repeated coups dating back at least to the 1953 against Iran at the United Nations last year which got very little attention, nor did a more recent one where Evo Morales speaks about Climate Change:
MSM Adamantly Avoids The Word “Coup” In Bolivia Reporting 11/11/2019 by Caitlin Johnstone
here has been a military coup in Bolivia backed by violent right-wing rioters and the US government, but you’d hardly know this from any of the mainstream media headlines.
“Bolivian President Evo Morales steps down following accusations of election fraud” proclaims CNN.
“Bolivia’s Morales resigns amid scathing election report, rising protests” reports The Washington Post.
“Bolivian Leader Evo Morales Steps Down” says The New York Times.
“Bolivian President Evo Morales resigns amid fraud poll protests” declares the BBC.
“President of Bolivia steps down amid allegations of election rigging” we are informedby Telegraph.
“Bolivia’s President Morales resigns after backlash to disputed election” says the Sydney Morning Herald.
So there you have it. The indigenous leader of a socialist South American government which has successfully lifted masses of people out of crushing poverty, which happens to control the world’s largest reserves of lithium (which may one day replace oil as a crucial energy resource due to its use in powering smartphones, laptops, hybrid and electric cars), which has an extensive and well-documented history of being targeted for regime change by the US government, simply stepped down due to some sort of scandal involving a “disputed election”. Nothing to do with the fact that right-wing mobs had been terrorizing this leader’s family, or the fact that the nation’s military literally commanded him to step down and are now currently searching for him to arrest him, leading to ousted government officials being rounded up and held captive by soldiers wearing masks. .......
At a United Nations Security Council meeting last year, President Morales summed up the true nature of America’s role in the world very accurately, and, it turns out, very presciently.
“I would like to say to you, frankly and openly here, that in no way is the United States interested in upholding democracy,” Morales said. “If such were the case it would not have financed coups d’etat and supported dictators. It would not have threatened with military intervention democratically elected governments as it has done with Venezuela. The United States could not care less about human rights or justice. If this were the case, it would have signed the international conventions and treaties that have protected human rights.It would not have threatened the investigation mechanism of the International Criminal Court, nor would it promote the use of torture, nor would it have walked away from the Human Rights Council. And nor would it have separated migrant children from their families, nor put them in cages.”
“The United States is not interested in multilateralism,” Morales continued. “If it were interested in multilateralism it would not have withdrawn from the Paris Agreement or given the cold shoulder to the global compact on migration, it would not have launched unilateral attacks, nor have taken decisions such as illegally declaring Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. This contempt for multilateralism is motivated by the thirst of the United States for political control and for the seizing of natural resources.”
“Each time that the United States invades nations, launches missiles, or finances regime change, it does so behind a propaganda campaign which incessantly repeats the message that it is acting in the course of justice, freedom and democracy, in the cause of human rights or for humanitarian reasons,” Morales also said.
“The responsibility of our generation is to hand over a fairer and more secure world to the following generation,” Morales concluded. “We will only achieve this dream if we work together to consolidate a multipolar world, a world with common rules that are respected by and defended from all the threats ranged against the United Nations.” ...... Complete article
here has been a military coup in Bolivia backed by violent right-wing rioters and the US government, but you’d hardly know this from any of the mainstream media headlines.
“Bolivian President Evo Morales steps down following accusations of election fraud” proclaims CNN.
“Bolivia’s Morales resigns amid scathing election report, rising protests” reports The Washington Post.
“Bolivian Leader Evo Morales Steps Down” says The New York Times.
“Bolivian President Evo Morales resigns amid fraud poll protests” declares the BBC.
“President of Bolivia steps down amid allegations of election rigging” we are informedby Telegraph.
“Bolivia’s President Morales resigns after backlash to disputed election” says the Sydney Morning Herald.
So there you have it. The indigenous leader of a socialist South American government which has successfully lifted masses of people out of crushing poverty, which happens to control the world’s largest reserves of lithium (which may one day replace oil as a crucial energy resource due to its use in powering smartphones, laptops, hybrid and electric cars), which has an extensive and well-documented history of being targeted for regime change by the US government, simply stepped down due to some sort of scandal involving a “disputed election”. Nothing to do with the fact that right-wing mobs had been terrorizing this leader’s family, or the fact that the nation’s military literally commanded him to step down and are now currently searching for him to arrest him, leading to ousted government officials being rounded up and held captive by soldiers wearing masks. .......
At a United Nations Security Council meeting last year, President Morales summed up the true nature of America’s role in the world very accurately, and, it turns out, very presciently.
“I would like to say to you, frankly and openly here, that in no way is the United States interested in upholding democracy,” Morales said. “If such were the case it would not have financed coups d’etat and supported dictators. It would not have threatened with military intervention democratically elected governments as it has done with Venezuela. The United States could not care less about human rights or justice. If this were the case, it would have signed the international conventions and treaties that have protected human rights.It would not have threatened the investigation mechanism of the International Criminal Court, nor would it promote the use of torture, nor would it have walked away from the Human Rights Council. And nor would it have separated migrant children from their families, nor put them in cages.”
“The United States is not interested in multilateralism,” Morales continued. “If it were interested in multilateralism it would not have withdrawn from the Paris Agreement or given the cold shoulder to the global compact on migration, it would not have launched unilateral attacks, nor have taken decisions such as illegally declaring Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. This contempt for multilateralism is motivated by the thirst of the United States for political control and for the seizing of natural resources.”
“Each time that the United States invades nations, launches missiles, or finances regime change, it does so behind a propaganda campaign which incessantly repeats the message that it is acting in the course of justice, freedom and democracy, in the cause of human rights or for humanitarian reasons,” Morales also said.
“The responsibility of our generation is to hand over a fairer and more secure world to the following generation,” Morales concluded. “We will only achieve this dream if we work together to consolidate a multipolar world, a world with common rules that are respected by and defended from all the threats ranged against the United Nations.” ...... Complete article
Additional excerpts are available at Evo Morales Bolivian Slams President Trump And US Not Interested In Democracy 11/1/2019 which includes his reference to Iran in 1953 among other things.
These are all bad enough, but perhaps what may be more important is the fact that international corporations, the United States government and the media among other organizations are supporting absurd policies that are leading to the destruction of our environment and they're preserving an economic system which is oppressing people all over the world especially indigenous people. Evo Morales spoke even more about recently in this speech to the United Nations, from September, which wasn't covered much if any more than his previous speech:
United Nations General Assembly Seventy-fourth session 09/24/2019
President Morales Ayma (spoke in Spanish):
We gather once again at humankind’s most important multilateral Organization to collectively reflect upon and analyse the global problems that affect the people of the world. We note with concern the deterioration of the multilateral system as a result of the unilateral measures promoted by some States that have decided to act in bad faith and ignore the commitments and global structures set up for healthy coexistence among States, within the framework of international law and the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
We meet in this forum to discuss and seek solutions to the serious threats to humankind and life on the planet. Our home, Mother Earth, is our only home and is irreplaceable. Fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts and other disasters are becoming increasingly frequent. Each year is hotter than the previous one, global melting is increasing and ocean levels are rising. Every day we suffer the disappearance of species, land erosion, desertification and deforestation.
We have been warned that, if we follow this course of action, by the year 2100 the global temperature will have increased by 3° Celsius, with concomitant massive and devastating changes. According to data from our Organization, the consequences of climate change will condemn millions of people to poverty, hunger, lack of drinking water, the loss of their homes, forced displacement, more refugee crises and new armed conflicts.
We have been surprised in recent weeks by the forest fires that have broken out in different parts of the planet — in the Amazon, Oceania and Africa — affecting the flora, fauna and biodiversity. In recent weeks, Bolivia has experienced literal hot spots, which we have been battling with financial, technical and human resources. Our country has spent more than $15 million to date to mitigate fires. We thank the international community for its timely cooperation in our fight against the fire, as well as its commitment to participate in post-fire relief.
The arms race, military spending and technology in the service of death and the unscrupulous arms trade have all increased. The financial system continues to be anti-democratic, inequitable and unstable. It promotes tax havens and banking secrecy, which subjugate weak countries and force them to accept conditions that perpetuate their dependence. We note with sadness that the great social asymmetries persist. According to Oxfam data, currently 1.3 billion people live in poverty, while 1 per cent of the richest held 82 per cent of the world’s wealth in 2017. Inequality, hunger, poverty, the migration crisis, epidemic diseases and unemployment are not merely local problems, they are global problems.
Nevertheless, humankind’s creative ability surprises us every day with new inventions and new technological applications, which have provided great solutions to very complex problems. Technology has meant a qualitative leap for humankind. However, it is necessary for this multilateral body to establish agreements in that domain with the participation of all States.
It is essential that we talk about the structural causes of the various crises. Transnational companies control food, water, non-renewable resources, weapons, technology and our personal data. The aim is to commercialize everything in order to accumulate capital. The world is being controlled by a global oligarchy; a mere handful of billionaires define the political and economic destiny of humankind. Twenty-six people possess the same wealth as 3.8 billion people. That is unjust. That is immoral. That is inadmissible.
The fundamental problem lies in the production model and consumerism, the ownership of natural resources and the inequitable distribution of wealth. Let us put it very clearly — the root of the problem lies in the capitalist system. That is why the United Nations is more relevant and important than ever despite individual efforts, which are insufficient, because only joint action and unity will enable us to overcome those problems.
As we have already said, our generation’s responsibility is to pass on to the next generation a fairer and more humane world. That will be achieved only if we work together to build a multipolar world with rules common to all, while defending multilateralism, the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
We have taken some very important steps in Bolivia. We are the country with the highest economic growth in South America, averaging 4.9 per cent in the past six years. Between 2005 and 2019, the gross domestic product increased from 9.574 to 40.885 billion dollars. We have the lowest unemployment rate in the region, which fell from 8.1 per cent in 2005 to 4.2 per cent in 2018. Extreme poverty fell from 38.2 per cent to 15.2 per cent over 13 years. Life expectancy has increased by nine years. The minimum wage rose from $60 to $310.
The gender gap in land titles owned by women has been reduced — only 138,788 women had received land by 2005, while 1,011,249 women had received land by 2018. Bolivia has the third-highest participation of women in Parliament in the world — more than 50 per cent of its representatives are women.
Bolivia declared itself an illiteracy-free country in 2008. The school dropout rate fell from 4.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent between 2005 and 2018. The infant mortality rate has been reduced by 56 per cent. We are in the process of implementing a universal healthcare system that will guarantee that 100 per cent of Bolivians — women and men — have access to free, quality services that are caring and that respect their dignity. We have adopted a law on free care for cancer patients.
The data I have just mentioned are part of the achievements of our democratic and cultural revolution, which have brought political, economic and social stability to Bolivia. How did we achieve that in such a short time? How did Bolivia embark upon the path to defeating poverty and underdevelopment?
It was thanks to the conscientiousness of the people — social movements and indigenous people, campesinos, workers, professionals and rural and urban men and women. We nationalized our natural resources and strategic businesses. We took control of our destiny. We built a communitarian and productive socioeconomic model that recognizes basic services as a human right, not as a private business. Today we can say with pride and optimism that Bolivia has a future.
There is one outstanding issue in the region, and that is the sea. The sea is indispensable for life, integration and the development of peoples. For that reason, Bolivia will not give up its right to sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. In 2015 and 2018, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled on the following elements in its judgments.
First, in paragraph 19 of the 1 October 2018 judgment in Obligation to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v. Chile), the Court stated that “Bolivia had a coastline of over 400 km along the Pacific Ocean”.
Secondly, in paragraph 50 of the 24 September 2015 ruling in the same case, it stated that
Thirdly, in paragraph 176 of the 1 October 2018 ruling, it also stated that
That judicial decision did not put an end to the controversy; on the contrary, it explicitly recognizes that the controversy persists and emphasizes that it does not exclude the possibility of both States finding a solution. Therefore, the United Nations should monitor the situation and demand full compliance with the Court’s decisions, so that both peoples continue negotiating in good faith to close open wounds. It is possible to promote a spirit of good neighbourliness and to open a new chapter in our relationship in which mutually acceptable and lasting solutions can be forged.
Our countries face diverse and contentious situations that must be approached in a sovereign manner and for which solutions must be found through dialogue and negotiations that benefit the interests of our peoples. Bolivia, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations, ratifies its rejection of the economic and financial blockade imposed against Cuba, which violates all human rights.
Finally, I take this opportunity to thank all the member countries for their support in the various initiatives promoted by Bolivia, such as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas and the recognition of 21 June as the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice.
To conclude, we ratify our commitment to consolidate a new world order of peace with social justice, in harmony with Mother Earth, with a view to living well while respecting the dignity and identity of the world’s peoples. Complete article
President Morales Ayma (spoke in Spanish):
We gather once again at humankind’s most important multilateral Organization to collectively reflect upon and analyse the global problems that affect the people of the world. We note with concern the deterioration of the multilateral system as a result of the unilateral measures promoted by some States that have decided to act in bad faith and ignore the commitments and global structures set up for healthy coexistence among States, within the framework of international law and the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
We meet in this forum to discuss and seek solutions to the serious threats to humankind and life on the planet. Our home, Mother Earth, is our only home and is irreplaceable. Fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts and other disasters are becoming increasingly frequent. Each year is hotter than the previous one, global melting is increasing and ocean levels are rising. Every day we suffer the disappearance of species, land erosion, desertification and deforestation.
We have been warned that, if we follow this course of action, by the year 2100 the global temperature will have increased by 3° Celsius, with concomitant massive and devastating changes. According to data from our Organization, the consequences of climate change will condemn millions of people to poverty, hunger, lack of drinking water, the loss of their homes, forced displacement, more refugee crises and new armed conflicts.
We have been surprised in recent weeks by the forest fires that have broken out in different parts of the planet — in the Amazon, Oceania and Africa — affecting the flora, fauna and biodiversity. In recent weeks, Bolivia has experienced literal hot spots, which we have been battling with financial, technical and human resources. Our country has spent more than $15 million to date to mitigate fires. We thank the international community for its timely cooperation in our fight against the fire, as well as its commitment to participate in post-fire relief.
The arms race, military spending and technology in the service of death and the unscrupulous arms trade have all increased. The financial system continues to be anti-democratic, inequitable and unstable. It promotes tax havens and banking secrecy, which subjugate weak countries and force them to accept conditions that perpetuate their dependence. We note with sadness that the great social asymmetries persist. According to Oxfam data, currently 1.3 billion people live in poverty, while 1 per cent of the richest held 82 per cent of the world’s wealth in 2017. Inequality, hunger, poverty, the migration crisis, epidemic diseases and unemployment are not merely local problems, they are global problems.
Nevertheless, humankind’s creative ability surprises us every day with new inventions and new technological applications, which have provided great solutions to very complex problems. Technology has meant a qualitative leap for humankind. However, it is necessary for this multilateral body to establish agreements in that domain with the participation of all States.
It is essential that we talk about the structural causes of the various crises. Transnational companies control food, water, non-renewable resources, weapons, technology and our personal data. The aim is to commercialize everything in order to accumulate capital. The world is being controlled by a global oligarchy; a mere handful of billionaires define the political and economic destiny of humankind. Twenty-six people possess the same wealth as 3.8 billion people. That is unjust. That is immoral. That is inadmissible.
The fundamental problem lies in the production model and consumerism, the ownership of natural resources and the inequitable distribution of wealth. Let us put it very clearly — the root of the problem lies in the capitalist system. That is why the United Nations is more relevant and important than ever despite individual efforts, which are insufficient, because only joint action and unity will enable us to overcome those problems.
As we have already said, our generation’s responsibility is to pass on to the next generation a fairer and more humane world. That will be achieved only if we work together to build a multipolar world with rules common to all, while defending multilateralism, the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
We have taken some very important steps in Bolivia. We are the country with the highest economic growth in South America, averaging 4.9 per cent in the past six years. Between 2005 and 2019, the gross domestic product increased from 9.574 to 40.885 billion dollars. We have the lowest unemployment rate in the region, which fell from 8.1 per cent in 2005 to 4.2 per cent in 2018. Extreme poverty fell from 38.2 per cent to 15.2 per cent over 13 years. Life expectancy has increased by nine years. The minimum wage rose from $60 to $310.
The gender gap in land titles owned by women has been reduced — only 138,788 women had received land by 2005, while 1,011,249 women had received land by 2018. Bolivia has the third-highest participation of women in Parliament in the world — more than 50 per cent of its representatives are women.
Bolivia declared itself an illiteracy-free country in 2008. The school dropout rate fell from 4.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent between 2005 and 2018. The infant mortality rate has been reduced by 56 per cent. We are in the process of implementing a universal healthcare system that will guarantee that 100 per cent of Bolivians — women and men — have access to free, quality services that are caring and that respect their dignity. We have adopted a law on free care for cancer patients.
The data I have just mentioned are part of the achievements of our democratic and cultural revolution, which have brought political, economic and social stability to Bolivia. How did we achieve that in such a short time? How did Bolivia embark upon the path to defeating poverty and underdevelopment?
It was thanks to the conscientiousness of the people — social movements and indigenous people, campesinos, workers, professionals and rural and urban men and women. We nationalized our natural resources and strategic businesses. We took control of our destiny. We built a communitarian and productive socioeconomic model that recognizes basic services as a human right, not as a private business. Today we can say with pride and optimism that Bolivia has a future.
There is one outstanding issue in the region, and that is the sea. The sea is indispensable for life, integration and the development of peoples. For that reason, Bolivia will not give up its right to sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. In 2015 and 2018, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled on the following elements in its judgments.
First, in paragraph 19 of the 1 October 2018 judgment in Obligation to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v. Chile), the Court stated that “Bolivia had a coastline of over 400 km along the Pacific Ocean”.
Secondly, in paragraph 50 of the 24 September 2015 ruling in the same case, it stated that
“the matters in dispute are matters neither ‘settled by arrangement between the parties, or by arbitral award or by decision of an international court’ nor ‘governed by agreements or treaties in force’”.
Thirdly, in paragraph 176 of the 1 October 2018 ruling, it also stated that
“[n]evertheless, the Court’s finding should not be understood as precluding the Parties from continuing their dialogue and exchanges, in a spirit of good neighbourliness, to address the issues relating to the landlocked situation of Bolivia, the solution to which they have both recognized to be a matter of mutual interest. With willingness on the part of the Parties, meaningful negotiations can be undertaken”.
That judicial decision did not put an end to the controversy; on the contrary, it explicitly recognizes that the controversy persists and emphasizes that it does not exclude the possibility of both States finding a solution. Therefore, the United Nations should monitor the situation and demand full compliance with the Court’s decisions, so that both peoples continue negotiating in good faith to close open wounds. It is possible to promote a spirit of good neighbourliness and to open a new chapter in our relationship in which mutually acceptable and lasting solutions can be forged.
Our countries face diverse and contentious situations that must be approached in a sovereign manner and for which solutions must be found through dialogue and negotiations that benefit the interests of our peoples. Bolivia, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations, ratifies its rejection of the economic and financial blockade imposed against Cuba, which violates all human rights.
Finally, I take this opportunity to thank all the member countries for their support in the various initiatives promoted by Bolivia, such as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas and the recognition of 21 June as the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice.
To conclude, we ratify our commitment to consolidate a new world order of peace with social justice, in harmony with Mother Earth, with a view to living well while respecting the dignity and identity of the world’s peoples. Complete article
The threat to the planet as a result of Climate Change is just one of the reasons why all of us should be concerned with the Bolivian coup; another one is, of course, as the old saying goes, "First they came for the Socialists, but I'm not a socialist" etc. or what they do for you they'll do to you, if they think they can get away with it and this type of violence has a history of escalating. They've already tried to overthrow the government in Venezuela several times and interfered with many other Latin American governments as Evo pointed out in his speech. Like Jeanine Áñez Chávez, Juan Guaidó was never elected by the people, yet he claimed to be the legitimate president of Venezuela with the United States support, despite having little support form the majority of people from Venezuela.
This problem didn't begin with Donald Trump and there's little or no chance that it will end when he's out of office, no matter how they remove him. The same media establishment and Democratic Party that is trying to expose him also propped him up by giving him obsession coverage before the 2016 election and rigging the primary for someone so horrendous he could beat her! Most of the coups supported by the United States took place long before he took office; and unless we do something to bring major reform and stop them from rigging primaries for corrupt politicians they'll continue to take place!
The same Democratic Party that pretends to oppose him voted for massive increases in the Defense bill; they also just voted to give this person who they're supposedly trying to impeach the right to continue spying on us & suppressing our rights, by renewing the Patriot Act without any accountability! Democrats have supported coups in Honduras, Venezuela and other countries as much as the GOP.
Even when it comes to impeachment they didn't begin it over the worst crimes that Trump was involved in, including violations of the emoluments clause, oppressing rights of immigrants putting them in cages, even though they're victims of oppression from coups supported by USA, instigating violence in the Middle East by moving the embassy to Jerusalem, and much more; instead they used the Ukrainian scandal as grounds. It may be reasonable to be outraged because Trump is using his political clout to start an investigation against his opponent, but that opponent is equally corrupt and they're trying to convince us that we should accept corruption as usual and look the other way when the corrupt person is on your side!
But the threat to the environment is escalating and at some point we're going beyond a point of no return, most estimates indicate this is within about ten years, yet we're constantly bickering and often doing more harm than good thanks to extremists in denial that are in power.
The mainstream media is hardly covering this adequately, any more than they cover many of these speeches, wars base don lies, or epidemic levels of destruction to the environment including the Amazon which I reviewed in Amazon Fire Already Headed Down Memory Hole Like Kuwait Fires & China Smog! In that article, as well as others I pointed out that the researchers within the academic and political world have to be as aware if not much more aware of how much damage they're doing to the environment and the fact that when it gets bad enough it will destroy even the wealthiest people.
This means that either the entire political establishment is insane and willing to destroy the planet for short term profit or they must think they have a way to avoid destroying the planet or .... what else? Something else insane? There's no doubt there's something extremely far-fetched going on, although there might not be enough evidence to show what. One possibility that I've been considering is that Philip Corso, who claimed that he shared technology obtained from alien spacecraft in a best selling 1997 book "The Day After Roswell" might be at least partly right. If so that could explain the rapid development of advanced technology since World War II which has been escalating rapidly in the past twenty to forty years.
If this is the case then it could begin to explain many other major unsolved mysteries, including UFOs, Crop Circles, Cattle Mutilations, how ancient megaliths were moved, mystics that haven't been fully explained, and much more. If it's not true then there's another mystery about why the media establishment and hundreds of members of the military or other related researchers and investigators are trying to make it look like there are aliens when there aren't. Either there's a conspiracy to make aliens, or cover them up!
There's no doubt that there's problems with this theory; however there're also major problems with the official explanation of history and science as well as the insane political establishment and constantly fighting wars based on lies. I haven't declared it to be conclusive, but without a much better explanation to major unsolved mysteries the official version isn't conclusive either. we need full disclosure of what ever the government and corporations or other organizations know about these mysteries, and sincere peer review to check the facts before we can know for certain which version is true; but that's not what we're getting from the traditional media or political establishment.
Another thing we can be certain of, when it comes to the 2020 elections, is that the only candidate the media provides fair coverage for that consistently stands up for fundamentals of democracy and defends the environment or the working class among other things is Bernie Sanders. Joe Biden was never a serious candidate which was exposed in a couple runs for president and while he was making an absurd number of gaffes as vice president. I can't imagine why they ever pretended otherwise. They've done a much more effective job creating propaganda to make Elizabeth Warren look progressive, but those doing a good job checking alternative media are much more likely to recognize that her record doesn't come close to matching her rhetoric.
I can't imagine why they're pretending that Pete Buttigieg is rising in the polls either, there's as many problems with his candidacy as there is with Biden's. If an alternative to Bernie or Warren does rise in the Democratic Party it won't be either Biden or Buttigieg, nor is it likely to be Deval Patrick or Michael Bloomberg, both of whom are running campaigns that look like a joke.
If there is a candidate as good or better than Bernie Sanders it's one that the mainstream media refuses to cover! In the long run the grassroots are going to have to demand fair coverage for all candidates for office local and national; even Bernie Sanders won't be nearly as effective as us if we're going to get the reform we need.
The following are some additional sources or related articles to this:
CodePink Founder Medea Benjamin Threatened with Arrest After Protesting U.S. Foreign Interventions 11/14/2019
'They Choked Me. They Threw Me Down.': CodePink's Medea Benjamin Assaulted by Right-Wing Venezuelan Opposition and Threatened With Arrest 11/14/2019
Medea Benjamin: After this peaceful protest, 5 police cars sorted up at my house, threatening to arrest me for assaulting the congresswoman next to me, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Police state 11/13/2019 https://twitter.com/medeabenjamin/status/1194755106174066691 After this peaceful protest, 5 police cars sorted up at my house, threatening to arrest me for assaulting the congresswoman next to me, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Police state
Medea Benjamin: Police intimidation, surrounding my house and threatening to arrest me 11/13/2019
Capitol Police Attempted To Arrest Code Pink Activist Medea Benjamin For Allegedly 'Assaulting' Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz 11/13/2019
The War on Latin America’s Left 11/17/2019
'Pinochet-Style Dictatorship': Bolivia's Coup Government Threatens to Arrest Leftist Lawmakers and Journalists 11/18/2019 "Bolivia is living through a violent, regressive, completely undemocratic power grab. All governments must sever relations with this illegal regime."
Protestors Massacred in Post-Coup Bolivia 11/18/2019
WATCH: Bolivia President Evo Morales Ayma's full speech to the UN General Assembly 09/ 24/2019
The U.S. Is Setting the Stage for Another Coup in Iran 11/18/2019
General Assembly Seventy-fourth session 09/24/2019 President Morales Ayma (spoke in Spanish): .......
Where can I find statements made by Bolivia during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly?
Is it a crime to tell the truth? Bolivia President Evo Morales at the United Nations in February of this year. Right in front of Trump./16/2019
Bolivia’s New Self-Declared “Interim President” Believes Indians Are “Satanic”, Shouldn’t Be Allowed in Cities 11/13/2019
Calling for an 'End to Violence,' Bernie Sanders Becomes First 2020 Democratic Presidential Contender to Criticize Bolivian Coup 11/11/2019 "I am very concerned about what appears to be a coup in Bolivia, where the military, after weeks of political unrest, intervened to remove President Evo Morales."
Police fire tear gas at protesters in Bolivia election unrest 10/29/2019 Continued protests come as President Morales and opposition candidate Carlos Mesa wrestle over an audit of the results.
Bolsonaro attacks 'putrid' media over Marielle Franco murder revelations 10/30/2019 Brazilian president seethes after investigation revealed suspects met at his compound before leftist politician’s murder. “You rascals, you scumbags! This will not stick!” Bolsonaro fumed after the report on Marielle Franco’s 2018 murder.
While Warning of Nazi-Like Fascism and Corporate Crimes, Pope Francis Proposes Adding 'Ecological Sin' to Church Teachings 11/16/2019
Big Oil Needs to Pay for the Damage It Caused 11/18/2019
Bolivia’s Anti-Indigenous Backlash Is Growing 11/13/2019
What the coup against Evo Morales means to indigenous people like me Nick Estes 11/14/2019 The indigenous-socialist project accomplished what neoliberalism has repeatedly failed to do: redistribute wealth to society’s poorest sectors
Bolivia coup led by Christian fascist paramilitary leader and millionaire – with foreign support (Enhanced version] 11/18/2019
Bolivian U.N. Ambassador: “Racist Elite” Engineered Coup to Restore Neoliberalism in Bolivia 11/19/2019
Bernie Sanders' Stance on Bolivia Matters 11/18/2019 “I don’t agree with that assertion,” he said. “I think Morales did a very good job in alleviating poverty and giving the indigenous people of Bolivia a voice that they never had before. Now we can argue about his going for a fourth term, whether that was a wise thing to do. … But at the end of the day, it was the military who intervened in that process and asked him to leave. When the military intervenes, Jorge, in my view, that’s called a ‘coup.'” ....... Any presidential candidate who claims to represent workers and marginalized communities, who even nominally opposes U.S. imperialism, should be able to identify a coup as such. If they can’t, why should we trust them to implement a just and holistic foreign policy?
Sema Hernandez: I'm indigenous. I don't speak for all indigenous people, but I will speak for myself: I condemn @ewarren for taking this position on the #BoliviaCoup. The interim leadership is ethnically cleansing Bolivia's indigenous population and declaring Bolivia a Christian nation. 11/18/2019
Bolivian President Evo Morales resigns following mass protests 11/10/2019
Opinion: The OAS lied to the public about the Bolivian election and coup 11/19/2019
Bolivia's Evo Morales: 'Let me come back and finish my term' 11/17/2019
After Week of Violence and Unrest, Warren Criticized for Conciliatory Remarks on Post-Coup Bolivia 11/19/2019
Bolivia's democratically elected President Evo Morales explains how the US government was behind the far-right military coup that overthrew him. "The US embassy was conspiring against me," he said, adding that the US directly supported the right-wing opposition to undermine him. 11/19/2019
Top Bolivian coup plotters trained by US military's School of the Americas, served as attachés in FBI police programs 11/13/2019
House Democrats Hand Trump 'Authoritarian' Surveillance Powers 11/19/2019
Bernie Sanders Is the Only Presidential Candidate to Call Bolivia President's Ouster a 'Coup' 11/19/2019
Bolivia is falling into the grips of a brutal right-wing regime 11/19/2019
The Coup in Bolivia Has Everything to Do With the Screen You’re Using to Read This 11/20/2019
Evo Morales Urges United Nations to 'Denounce and Stop This Massacre' as Bolivian Military Guns Down Protestors 11/20/2019
Handing Trump 'Terrifying Authoritarian Surveillance Powers,' House Democrats Include Patriot Act Reauthorization in Funding Bill 11/19/2019 "Wow. House Democrats are ignoring civil liberties and including a three month straight reauthorization of the Patriot Act (with zero reform) in the continuing resolution."
President Donald Trump Applauds Bolivia's Military For Role In Coup 11/11/2019
Bolivian President Evo Morales accuses US of 'harboring terrorists' 09/25/2013
Bolivia’s Morales, at UN, says natural resources, basic necessities must be viewed as human rights 09/20/2017
Trump backs Brazilian president as he rejects aid for fighting Amazon fires 08/27/2019
Bolivia President Evo Morales speech to the United Nations General Assembly, September 24, 2019
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