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Is there another Hugo Chavez in Latin America? An Exclusive
Interview with Ecuador's New President
Natural Gas Issues Ignite Mass Antigovernment Protests in
Bolivia
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: How the U.S. Uses Globalization
to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions
Investigative Journalist Recalls Leaving CBS After Encountering
Fierce Resistance to Re-Air Expose on Nike Labor Practices
Is there another Hugo Chavez in Latin America? An
Exclusive Interview with Ecuador's New President
In a Democracy Now exclusive, investigative reporter Greg
Palast reports from Ecuador where he interviews the country's
new president, Alfredo Palacio, and takes a look at whether
he will join the popular leftist movements in Latin America
or will continue the neoliberal program of his predecessor.
[includes rush
transcript]
For today's broadcast we are joining up with Think Global,
public radio's week of special coverage focusing on globalization.
And we begin today in a country that is facing significant
pressure from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank,
multinational corporations and the US government. And that
country is Ecuador. Last month, the country grabbed international
headlines after mass protests forced President Lucio Gutierrez
to flee the country. "Sucio Lucio," or Dirty Lucio,
as he was called by some, rose to power in 2002, promising
to break away from the supposedly voluntary austerity plan
imposed by the World Bank. But, within a month of taking office,
Gutierrez flew to Washington and was photographed holding
hands with President Bush.
When he returned to Quito, he quickly went back on many of
his campaign promises and tightened the austerity measures,
including raising the price of cooking gas. Mass protest ultimately
led to a scene where Gutierrez was inside of his palace, surrounded
by more than 100,000 protesters. After Gutierrez fled last
month, the country's congress named his vice president Alfredo
Palacio as the new president. Palacio takes over a country
that sits on more than 4 billion barrels of known oil reserves.
Many in Latin America and in Washington are waiting to see
whether Palacio will join the popular leftist movements in
Latin America or will continue the neoliberal program of his
predecessor. Investigative reporter Greg Palast traveled to
Quito and met with Palacio. He prepared this exclusive report
for Democracy Now! in the mountains of Ecuador.
- Greg Palast, special report from Ecuador.
- Greg Palast, investigative reporter joining us from Santa
Fe, New Mexico.
Website: www.GregPalast.com.
Natural Gas Issues Ignite Mass Antigovernment Protests
in Bolivia
Tens of thousands of protesters in Bolivia marched on the
capital La Paz after President Carlos Mesa's attempt to push
through a law giving large corporations and investors greater
control of the country's significant natural gas resources.
[includes rush
transcript]
We move now to Latin America's poorest nation Bolivia where
tens of thousands of people marched on the capital La Paz.
At issue is President Carlos Mesa's attempt to push through
a law giving large corporations and investors greater control
of the country's significant natural gas resources. Already,
Bolivia's gas and oil production is controlled by a dozen
foreign corporations. The protests were largely made up of
indigenous Bolivians who represent a sizable majority of the
country's population. The largest contingent came from the
militant neighborhood of el Alto. When they got to the main
square in the capital, the demonstrators were met by a large
police presence. At times, the police used tear gas and water
against the protests.
Meanwhile, the main opposition leader Evo Morales, headed
up a simultaneous protest from the Andean highlands. His contingent
was marching 120 miles to La Paz. In other areas of the country,
protesters set up blockades on several highways. The protests
were organized by a coalition of indigenous groups, coca farmers
and trade unionists.
Momentum is building in Bolivia to bring down the government
and many believe that Evo Morales could win the next presidential
election. That would certainly cause concern among multinational
corporations, as well as in Washington. In October of 2003,
mass protest and the government's massacre of scores of protesters,
forced President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada to flee the country
and seek protection in the United States.
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: How the U.S.
Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions
We play an interview with, John Perkins - author of "Confessions
of an Economic Hit Man" - who says he says he helped
the U.S. cheat poor countries around the globe out of trillions
of dollars by lending them more money than they could possibly
repay and then taking over their economies. [includes rush
transcript]
The protests this week in Bolivia come as Latin America is
seeing significant success among popular progressive movements.
From Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Lula da Silva of Brazil to
the changes of government in Uruguay and now Ecuador, there
is a continent-wide trend that has Washington concerned. The
US has long exploited countries throughout Central and Latin
America for the natural resources, labor and land. Over the
decades, this exploitation has been backed up by force and
through devastating policies dictated to puppet regimes. Our
next guest says he helped the U.S. cheat poor countries in
Latin America and around the globe out of trillions of dollars
by lending them more money than they could possibly repay
and then taking over their economies. From 1971 to 1981, John
Perkins worked for the international consulting firm of Chas
T. Main. He described himself as an "economic hit man."
He"s written a memoir called Confessions of an Economic
Hit Man. When he joined us in our fire house studio, we asked
him to begin with how he came to be recruited first by the
National Security Agency - far larger than the C.I.A. - and
then this so-called international consulting firm of Chas
T. Main.
- John Perkins, author of "Confessions of an Economic
Hit Man."
Investigative Journalist Recalls Leaving CBS After
Encountering Fierce Resistance to Re-Air Expose on Nike Labor
Practices
We play a speech by Roberta Baskin, the executive director
of the Center for Public Integrity. For years, Baskin was
an investigative journalist working for CBS. She eventually
left after she encountered fierce resistance to re-air her
story on Nike's labor practices in Vietnam. And we hear response
from a senior official of CBS's owner Viacom. [includes rush
transcript]
As we continue today's special broadcast as part of Think
Global, public radio's week of special coverage focusing on
globalization - we end today"' show with a look at the
media.
Last week, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
hosted a conference entitled "Can Freedom of the Press
Survive Media Consolidation?" Among those speaking at
the conference was Roberta Baskin, now the executive director
of the Center for Public Integrity. For years, Baskin was
an investigative journalist working for CBS. She eventually
left after she encountered fierce resistance to re-air her
story on Nike's labor practices in Vietnam. Interestingly,
a top official of the company that owns CBS, Viacom, was on
the same panel as Baskin.
- Roberta Baskin, speaking in Urbana, Illinois.
- Dennis Swanson, COO of Viacom Television Stations Group,
which owns CBS.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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