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Bolivian President Evo Morales on Latin America, U.S. Foreign
Policy and the Role of the Indigenous People of Bolivia
Bolivian President Evo Morales on Latin America,
U.S. Foreign Policy and the Role of the Indigenous People
of Bolivia
In a Democracy Now! special, we spend the hour with the
president of Bolivia, Evo Morales. This marks one of his only
extended televised interviews in the United States since he
became Bolivia's first indigenous president.
Highlights from the interview:
- Morales calls for the U.S. to extradite former Bolivian
president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada to face trial for killing
over 100 people. " A government that says it fights
against terrorism, for human rights, against corruption,
it’s not conceivable that this person would still
be here [in the United States]," Morales said.
- Morales calls on oil companies to be partners not bosses.
"The investor has the right to recuperate their investment
and to a reasonable profit," Morales said. "But
we can’t allow for the sacking of the country and
only the companies benefiting, not the people."
- Morales reveals for the first time how Brazilian President
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pressured Morales over his plan
to nationalize Bolivia's energy resources. "I was attacked.
Lula was rough with me," Morales said. [includes rush
transcript]
Today, we spend the hour with Evo Morales, the president
of Bolivia. Ten months ago, Evo Morales made history when
he became the country's first indigenous leader. At his inauguration
in January, he declared the end of Bolivia's colonial and
neo-liberal era. Since then he has moved to nationalize parts
of the country's vast energy reserves and strengthen Bolivia's
ties to Venezuela and Cuba.
Morales' rise to power began with his leadership of the coca
growers union and his high-profile opposition to the U.S.-funded
eradication of the coca crop. He helped to lead the street
demonstrations by Indian and union groups that toppled the
country's last two presidents.
On Tuesday, Morales spoke for the first time before the United
Nations General Assembly in New York. He vowed to never yield
to U.S. pressure to criminalize coca production. During his
speech he held up a coca leaf even though it is banned in
the United States.
Juan Gonzalez and I sat down with Bolivian President Evo
Morales for one of his first extended televised interviews
in the United States.
- Evo Morales, President of Bolivia.
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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