I'm tired of our presidential popularity contest. I'm much more interested in the craziness going on down in South America. We're talking expelled diplomats, violent protests, accusations of U.S. interference, martial law, strikes and arrests of government officials. And from this distance, it appears most of Bolivia's neighbors support president Evo Morales, much to the chagrin of the U.S.Seems it's always about oil or gas, which is the case in Bolivia, the poorest country in South America. Morales is, to some, a crazy left-wing commie who pals around with equally crazy Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. The opposition claims Morales wants to turn Bolivia into---another Cuba! Maybe that's an insult, but when you're already the poorest country in the neighborhood, I'm sure everybody's grass is greener.
The nugget is Morales expelled our ambassador, claiming the U.S. has been supporting the opposition. Of course, we are shocked--shocked!--at such allegations. Maybe we're innocent, but there have been plenty of times in the past when we have "supported" movements without actually lifting a finger. Morales certainly has reason to be paranoid since us Yankees don't like anyone who tries to centralize gas and oil industries and, oh, empower the majority indigenous population that has been disenfranchised for centuries.
As further insult to our delicate sensibilities, Chavez kicked our ambassador out of his own country. He's been claiming for months that the U.S. was encouraging the protests in Bolivia. Now, add Ecuador and Honduras to the list of Morales supporters! Naturally, Cuba's joined the party, too.
Call me crazy, but I kinda like Morales and Chavez. They're standing up to our self-righteousness and arrogance. Other South American countries have rallied to end the violence, and Morales has started negotiations with the opposition. For way too long, the U.S. has run the show throughout this hemisphere, and I think our "good intentions" have created many of the struggles faced by that entire region today. Maybe there's nothing to the rumors, but it's clear South America doesn't trust us.
Lots of complicated issues involved, of course, and I will be interested to see how this plays out.
Here are a few interesting links:
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