Our land has been looted for 500 years and we are going to assert our right of ownership
things will be changing in the Bolivian region, for the indigenous people, for non-indigenous living in Bolivia and for Western business interests that have long profitted from the gas rich country. One thing I have noticed is how North American and European media outlets' coverage seems to, if not center on, have as one of the consistent pillars, discussion of coca production and the cocaine trade in Bolivia. Question.
When a US president is elected to these same media outlets question what he is going to do regarding weapons manufacturing and the weapons industry, the US being the world leader?
Guns, missiles and other weapons kill far more people globally than does cocaine. And those same weapons have a killing potential far exceeding any threat possible by coca production.
The UK Guardian shamelessly reports that Morales almost ended their interview with him because of persistent questioning about Bolivian coca. The assumption being that Western readers won't notice or won't care about the racist hypocrisy inherent in the questioning to begin with. The fact that the Guardian is considered to be on the left end of the media spectrum of opinion is important to remember when synthesizing present and future reporting from the media in regards to Morales and his new government.
The US State Department isn't yet saying 'yea' or 'nay' on the Morales government, almost certainly waiting to see what he does regarding foreign gas companies and foreign business in general. If he sufficiently compromises and leaves in play the opportunity for foreign companies to make get the better of the deal regarding Bolivia's resources, they will likely not criticize him. If he's closer to Chavez and stops the looting, expect him to be treated like Chavez-lite. Probably no death threats from preachers but definitely attempts at undermining his efforts, beginning with the minds of Americans. Propaganda about the drug trade to smear him and get people ready to accept reports of 'instability' in his govt before it falls apart, the Mossadegh/Aristide model of US foreign policy.
Hopefully this won't come to pass but the threat of a good example is what the US and the West in general, won't allow evidenced by the invasion of Iraq after Hussein's attempts at nationalization of the Iraqi petroleum industry. Let's keep our fingers crossed and support high for the Bolivian movement.
