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Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: [?e??o]), is the socialist President of Bolivia, and is considered to be the country's first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 450 years ago.
Morales is the left-wing leader of Bolivia's cocalero movement – a loose federation of coca leaf-growing campesinos who are resisting the efforts of the United States government to eradicate coca in the province of Chapare in southeastern Bolivia. Morales is also leader of the Movement for Socialism political party (Movimiento al Socialismo, with the Spanish acronym MAS, meaning "more"), which was involved in the recent Gas Wars, along with many other groups, commonly referred to as 'social movements'.
In the 2002 presidential election, Morales came in second place, a surprising upset for Bolivia's traditional parties. This made the indigenous activist an instant celebrity throughout the continent. Morales credited his near victory in part to inflammatory comments made against him by then U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Manuel Rocha, saying they helped to "awaken the conscience of the people". Morales was finally elected president during the 2005 election, after several crises due to the gas industry issues.
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Morales has articulated the driving force behind MAS in the following terms:
"The worst enemy of humanity is capitalism. That is what provokes uprisings like our own, a rebellion against a system, against a neoliberal model, which is the representation of a savage capitalism. If the entire world doesn't acknowledge this reality, that the national states are not providing even minimally for health, education and nourishment, then each day the most fundamental human rights are being violated."
He has also stated:
"… the ideological principles of the organization, anti-imperialist and contrary to neoliberalism, are clear and firm but its members have yet to turn them into a programmatic reality." [4]
Morales has argued for the establishment of a constituent assembly to transform the country. He also proposes the creation of a new hydrocarbon law to guarantee at least 50 percent of revenue to Bolivia, although MAS has also shown interest in complete nationalization of the gas and oil industries. Morales has taken a middle ground: supporting the nationalization of natural gas companies, but supporting foreign cooperation in the industry.
Morales has referred to the U.S.-driven Free Trade Area of the Americas as "an agreement to legalize the colonization of the Americas", and has supported the stated desire of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to form an "Axis of Good" between Bolivia, Cuba and Venezuela, in contrast to the "Axis of Evil" comprising Washington and its allies [5].
Morales has also expressed his admiration of Guatemalan indigenous activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú.
In March 2006, president Evo Morales announced in Santa Cruz an increase in the minimum wage of 50%. As it is currently set at 440 bolivianos (45 euros), it would then increase to 660 bolivianos (67 euros). Morales had earlier stated that it should be increased by 100% [2]. However, 6 out of 10 workers are part of the informal economy, thus limiting the impact of this increase
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Long before coca was used to make cocaine, the indigenous people of the Andean region, the Aymara and Quechua, chewed coca leaves as a dietary supplement and the leaves are considered sacred by them. Today the legal consumption of coca leaves, including mate de coca, is part of daily life for Bolivia's peasants, miners and workers, and is legally and freely available for sale. Noted celebreties who have drunk coca tea include the late Pope John Paul II, and Princess Anne. The US-led "Plan Dignidad" (dignity plan), which seeks to reduce coca production to zero, is seen by them as an attack on the peasant's livelihoods and the indigenous people's way of life.
Morales' approach to the coca issue is that the cocaine problem should be solved on the consumption side, not by eradicating the coca plantations and by sending more military into the coca-growing regions, an act which brought criticism from NGOs such as Human Rights Watch [7]. Along with the gas issue, the promise to push back the U.S. policy of "zero coca", that is, the forced eradication of coca crops, was central to Morales's presidential campaign. [8]
There is much disagreement between Morales's administration and the United States regarding anti-drug laws and cooperation between the countries, but officials from both countries have expressed a desire to work against drug trafficking, with Sean McCormack from the U.S. State Department reinforcing the support of Bolivian anti-drug policy, and Morales stating "there will be zero cocaine, zero drug trafficking, but not zero coca", as in his opinion zero coca would mean zero Quechuas and zero Aymaras
Last month Morales nationalized the oil industry with intention to end the "foreign exploitation".
A few interesting details:
The biggest foreign investor into Bolivian oil industry is Brazil with his popular leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, followed by Argentina with another leftist Kirchner and Spain with socialist Zapatero. Good job tovarish!
This Morales guy is a living proof that doing cocaine is bad for your brain.
Ok how known is this Morales in the US?
Somehow I am getting a feeling that he isn't.
Well... to tell the truth, I know little or nothing about him, Yuri. I even had to check back just now for the country, Bolivia. This is why you have heard nothing from me so far!
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06-05-2006, 15:14
Re: Der gute Kamerad - Evo Morales 
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