After the motion of non-confidence and the referendum on August 10th, in which President Evo Morales and the four oppositional governors of eastern Bolivia have been confirmed with 56 to 67% of the votes, the struggle for a new constitution and reimbursement of the revenues from natural gas exports to all of the nine Bolivian departments continued.

Since both parties absolutely insist on having won the referendum, negotiations between Morales’ government and the opposition could not be carried out within the last few weeks. Hence, up to now the central government has refused to give the above mentioned reimbursement. The departments need these funds for the execution of regional development projects, but the federal government plans on using it for extra payments to senior citizens.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ aggressive appearances on state-run TV encouraged Morales to hold the US ambassador responsible for the crisis in Bolivia’s domestic policies and thus to challenge him to leave the country as fast as possible.

The four eastern departments of Bolivia stretch out over 62% of the country’s total land area and provide about 30% of the voters. Other than the Andean highlands, these departments are mainly populated by lowland natives, mestizos and white people. The highland natives, the so called Indios, first began migrating into eastern Bolivia within the last four decades and are easely outnumbered there.

Nevertheless, the draft of the constitution, whose elaboration has been subject to highly arguable and undemocratic conditions, will even empower President Morales and the federal government in La Paz. Yet the population of the eastern departments asks for a decentralized form of government bound in democratic principles, actually permitting departmental and communal administration and political responsibility.

Totalitarian bearing of Morales and his government, and Venezuelan President Chavez’ permanent meddling with Bolivia’s domestic policies meets with square refusal of the people in the lowlands. On Friday, the supreme commander of the Bolivian armed forces has embodied that he would regard a military intervention on the part of Venezuela as an act of hostility and, if so, the Bolivian army would defend the country’s sovereignty. Chavez’ reaction was expeditious and very piqued.

Because of not yet clarified circumstances resulting in casualties in the northern department Pando, on Saturday night, the federal government imposed emergency rule on this part of the country. Since then, the military controls the roads and all public instalations there.

On Saturday night, the Morales Government entered into long expected negotiations with the National Democratic Council (CONALDE), which consists of delegates from the four eastern departments and the department Chuquisaca. Most people now expect the parties to earnestly debate under the attendance of neutral observers from allied countries. The President, as at other opportunities in the past, has not even entered the conference room but left negotiations to his vice-president Garcia Lineras who is known for an ultra left attitude. Thus in the lowlands people rightly ask who actually governs Bolivia.

The project area of the Empresa Minera Bergbau AG is situated in the department Santa Cruz, which is in opposition to the Morales-Administration. Here, the governor has been confirmed with 66.4% of the votes. In contrast, President Evo Morales has been deselected with almost 60%. The department already has an own constitution which has been embraced by 80% of the population in a referendum in May. In the capital Santa Cruz de la Sierra, within the last few days, people occupied governmental facilities and closed main roads as protest acts against inability of the central government. Most of these actions were quite peaceful with some exceptions. On Sunday night, the road closures have been removed in order to ensure the best conditions for a conflict settling in the ongoing negotiations in La Paz.

Meanwhile the exploration of the Johannes-Colonia project area continues as scheduled and without obstacles. The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not issue a travel warning for Bolivia. At the moment, the Empresa Minera Bergbau AG has 17 employees, both from the high- and lowlands. The company contributes to reducing unemployment in the region, fighting extreme poverty and integrating Bolivia.


Santa Cruz, 15.09.2009

Dr Michael H. Biste
Consultant - EMAG