Tag: evo_morales

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Bolivian voters approve a new constitution

Bolivian voters have approved a new constitution designed to empower the country’s indigenous people, who make up a majority of the Andean nation.

The new constitution also allows president Evo Morales, who was elected in 2005, to run for another five year term. The new document will replace the 1967 charter.

You can find more info in stories from AFP (“Bolivians approve sweeping constitutional reforms,”), the New York Times (“Bolivians Ratify New Constitution“), and CNN (“Bolivian vote on constitution could help president“). Bolivia expert Miguel Centellas has also been blogging on the subject.

I’m interested in Andean politics because I spent 2003 living in Ecuador. And I was in Bolivia during the fall of 2003, when president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (a k a “Goni”), was forced to resign amid the Bolivian gas conflict. (Morales would take office just two years later.)

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Misc.

Official: Morales assassination plot foiled

CNN has this brief item: “Official: Plot to kill Bolivian president foiled”

A top Bolivian government official said Monday that the country’s intelligence services had uncovered a plot to assassinate President Evo Morales..

“A few weeks ago, the state organizations of intelligence received information about plans in relation to an assassination, and that those plans came from the far-right opposition,” Minister of Government Alfredo Rada told reporters in La Paz.

Rada said the plan was to be carried out by an indigenous person while Morales was in a crowd.

Wire accounts of the story are pretty limited so far, but you can monitor the story via Google News.

UPDATE: I suspect that Bolivia watcher Miguel Centellas will weigh in on this at some point. And you can search Twitter for news, as well.

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Misc.

“Thaksin to receive award from Bolivian president”

Today’s Bangkok Post has this strange story: Thaksin to receive award from Bolivian President

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales was considering giving Thailand’s deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra the Order of Simon Bolivar after he aided Thai people in the grass-root level, improved their living conditions, and settled the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan.

Mr Thaksin was scheduled to receive the award at Plaza Murillo in Bolivia’s La Paz.

In addition, President Morales was expected to approach former premier Thaksin to become his advisor to overcome the economic problems in Bolivia.

The award was named after Simon Bolivar, a historical figure who freed many South American countries from Spanish rule.

I was going to bold certain sections that seemed especially odd. But then I’d just be highlighting the entire article…