Bolivia: Right-wing push to stop change defeated

Bolivia: Right-wing push to stop change defeated

Federico Fuentes, La Paz
25 October 2008

After three months of intense class struggle, there can be no doubt that the US-backed right-wing opposition to the government of President Evo Morales has suffered three important defeats.

The right’s offensive to topple Morales, which climaxed with the September 11-12 “civic coup” attempt, has been decisively rolled back by the combined action of the government and social movements.

The government secured a historic vote in its favour with more than 67% endorsing Morales’ mandate in a referendum in August, that also revoked the mandate of two opposition prefects. Another opposition prefect was arrested for his role in the coup, and has secured a referendum for the new draft constitution to “refound Bolivia” on the basis of justice for the indigenous majority (see article in this page).

More importantly, a strengthen Morales government now counts on an unprecedented alliance of indigenous, peasant and workers’ organisations determined to defend their government and the Morales-led “democratic and cultural revolution”.

Third wave of struggle

With the turn of the century, Bolivia’s social movements — united behind Bolivia’s powerful indigenous peasant movement — began to rise up in opposition to neoliberalism and indigenous oppression, overthrowing two presidents and paving the way for the victory of the Morales-led Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) in early general elections in 2005.

More:
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/772/39843