Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, appeared recently on The Daily Show. The clip is available on YouTube.
Bolivia expert Miguel Centellas has some commentary.
A recent episode of Marketplace — one of my favorite podcasts — contained an excellent story from Ruxandra Guidi. It’s about how cars that were damaged by hurricane Katrina have ended up for sale in Bolivia. While the automobiles may look fine, many are mechanically beyond repair.
Simon Romero had an excellent story in the New York Times yesterday about Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, fighting to defeat the high-altitude soccer ban I mentioned recently. I particularly like the lede (as well as the delightful image, above):
Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, donned a green jersey the other day, watched a llama sacrifice […]
Disappointing news for Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia: FIFA says no more international soccer games above 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) in altitude. So much for the legendary home field advantage courtesy of the rarefied Andean air.
BBC News:
Football’s governing body, Fifa, has banned international matches from being played at more than 2,500m (8,200ft) above sea […]
Seth Mydans had an informative story in yesterday’s IHT; it’s about the current state of democracy under Thailand’s caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Key passage:
Sounding desperate, Thailand’s harried leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, wrote to President George W. Bush last spring with what sounded like an SOS. Thai democracy, he said, is under threat.
“Key democratic institutions, such […]
James Surowiecki has an incisive piece in this week’s New Yorker on Bolivia, development, and neoliberal economic policies. Neoliberalism didn’t work, but neither will Evo’s proposals to nationalize the economy, Surowiecki says.
But I agree with Winterspeak: Morales (ugly sweaters and all) wasn’t elected chiefly because voters believe he offers the best chance for developing their […]
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Some stuff of note:
– I’ve posted three new items over at Gridskipper of late.
– Here’s a license plate my brother Colin and I saw here in DC the weekend before X-mas. I wanna know who’s in charge of VA vanity plate obscenity screening. Someone is sleeping on the job. (Weird side note: a bumper sticker […]
This is an historic moment for Bolivia and all of South America. The continent has elected its first-ever indigenous president, Evo Morales: coca legalization proponent, self-proclaimed “nightmare” of Washington, and pal of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. And he won convincingly. Here’s a good article providing some context from the NYT.
My quick take: Evo’s election […]
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Bolivians are voting for a new president today.
I haven’t been able to find any news on how the voting has shaped up so far, but the best analysis I’ve seen is from Bolivia expert Miguel Centellas, who says Evo Morales is set to win — but may ultimately be hamstrung by a lack of […]
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Will this indigenous man — a former coca farmer — be the next president of Bolivia? No one knows for sure. The election is on Sunday.
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According to the NYT’s Juan Forero, coca-legalization proponent and indigenous coalition leader Evo Morales just might become the next president of Bolivia.
The election of Morales in Bolivia would represent the triumph of indigenous groups over the minority white elite ruling class — as well as the rejection of what’s viewed as American imperialism and the […]
Here’re some delightful photos of Mexico City wrestlers. My favorite of these Lucha Libre stars is either Super Porky (pictured), Super Raton, or Maximo — though Maximo could really use a longer skirt. (Sadly, La Liga Mexicana doesn’t feature any cholitas de Bolivia.)
NarcoNews: Nazis return to Bolivia.
(Via Sploid.)
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BBC:
Bolivia’s general election - supposed to be taking place on 4 December - has been postponed amid a row over the reallocation of congressional seats.
The election was called earlier this year as a way of ending street protests that had led to the resignation of President Carlos Mesa in June.
But a fresh row has broken […]
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Here’s an interesting — if alarmist* — assessment of a potential US military buildup in Paraguay.
(*I mean, c’mon, it’s not like our government has a history of meddling in Latin American affairs or anything.)
(Via Sploid.)
Paraguay, Chile, Nicaragua, Grenada, Venezuela, Chavez