MEDIA REACTION ON BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT, JANUARY

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000048 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES DEPT. FOR WHA/AND, WHA/CEN, EB, AND INL/LP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO PREL PGOV SNAR ECON HO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT, JANUARY 09, 2005 ¶1. On 01/09 the Tegucigalpa-based moderate daily "El Heraldo" carried an op-ed by Ruben Dario Paz, Social Sciences Professor, titled "Evo Morales, the Andean." "If there is a country that has suffered greatly, it is Bolivia, a wealthy country with abundant resources, but with extreme poverty." "In the middle of the coca dilemma a movement was born from which Evo Morales arose." "Perhaps Evo Morales' greatest advantage will be in an international alliance, because some neighboring countries have tried to improve their economic programs by setting themselves directly and defiantly apart from the North. "Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and possibly Chile comprise a wide leftist alliance in Latin America, under which Evo Morales will surely obtain important results for his country." "Let's hope that Evo responds to the many needs of his people." ¶2. "Heraldo" carried an op-ed by Julio Escoto entitled "Pendulum's Swing." "The U.S. government and powerful groups in the world must be concerned, if not terrorized: in Latin America the pendulum is swinging back, for the voters prefer governmental proposals oriented to reviving patriotism and developments of social character, instead of markets. Obviously, this is a consequence of neo-liberal failures, privatization doctrines and the rigid U.S. alliance structure." "Evo Morales' triumph in Bolivia startled the U.S. According to international analysts there are only two possible scenarios following the rise of leftist governments that will govern Latin America in the first decade of this century." "The first is confrontation, the model in which North and South are opposed. Second is a redesign of strategies by both parties, where there is respect and cooperation. But with the current U.S. administration there is not much likelihood of that. We will have to wait, probably, for a change of leadership in the U.S." "Even though they are called `leftists' that remains relative because what is happening is more than a popular name given by the rightist party to evoke fear." "Latin America knows that it cannot survive without the U.S. but it is not good for them to live under the U.S. They aspire to live `with' the U.S., but as a partner not with the U.S. as a master." "Latin America hopes a hope for ethical equal treatment, fraternity and collaboration between nations. And even though the U.S. doesn't want it like that, that is the way it should be, times change, the pendulum swings back." Ford