Mayo 10, 2005
Evo Satisfied?
During the run-up to the July Referendum on the Export of the Hydrocarbons, MAS took a more relative centrist position. Evo Morales and crew publicly backed President Carlos Mesa and distanced themselves from the “radical” groups which openly advocated to burn ballot boxes and intimidate potential voters. In comparison to Felipe Quispe and Jaime Solares, Evo looked like the true champion of democracy by supporting an exercise where one person, one vote actually mattered. Evo even was more or less disowned from these other groups.
However, in the early part of 2005 when President Mesa resigned and attempted to call early elections, MAS returned to its roots. Hand-in-hand with these “radical” leaders, Evo abandoned the democratic strides he had made in 2002 and returned to blockading roads, testing the patience of the urban working and middle classes. Some began to question whether Evo would be remembered as the indigenous politician that won so many Congressional seats and was rising through the ranks of democracy or the egocentric radical that shifts tactics out of convenience.
Now the Hydrocarbons Law that is on President Mesa’s desk is not the current law that only benefits the oil companies as has been repeated over and over, nor is it the 50% royalties / full nationalization that others have called for. Evo is generally satisfied with the current proposal that retains the 18% royalties, but which has added an additional 32% tax. He has once again distanced himself from the absurd call for full-nationalization and the equally difficult 50% royalties proposal.
It seems that Evo has compromised, but the right-wing business leaders heavily influenced by the oil companies say that this proposed law is a surefire suicide attempt. Will they eventually support this law that will, in my opinion, ultimately be signed by Mesa?
Posted by eduardo at Mayo 10, 2005 12:45 AM
Comments
My opinion on Evo remains the same. I don't like him, but he could be elected president if he was smart enough to moderate his posistions a little and work with Mesa to bring social stability for two years. And, for whatever reason, he doesn't seem to get it... For that reason, he can't win any votes beyond his base.
Posted by: boz at Mayo 11, 2005 09:23 PM