Bolivian update- no i have not been in hiding- everything is okay!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I arrived back in my site San José de Chiquitos last Wednesday night, despite the long, hot ride on the crowded train I was happy to be back. Bolivia continues to be in a very uneasy political state. The morning I left Santa Cruz my friend was warned twice, by different cab drivers to get out of town- that something was going to happen, and soon. We heard rumors that the President, Evo Morales had sent 300 militarized troops to the Santa Cruz city region.

Here is a short breakdown of last week’s key events:

Saturday December 8: The Constitutional Assembly secretly moves their location to Oruro City- in the Altiplano region- where Evo is highly supported by the Indigenous campesinos

Sunday December 9: In the middle of the night a portion of the Constitutional Assembly pass the new constitution, which gives more power to Evo (the right to run for 2 consecutive terms of 5 years each) , more state control of the economy, more nationalization of services and products, as well as more power for the indigenous populations. Some of these things could be in principal good, but it seems that what Evo truly wants is more of a dictatorship.

Monday- Wednesday: I was in Santa Cruz and things were surprisingly calm. In a country that reacts to everything from the price of bread with civil blockades and strikes, we were forced to question, what was going on? A large hunger strike in the central plaza of Santa Cruz City continues throughout the week.

Thursday December 13: “Ya tenemos Autonomia” (“ We already are Autonomous) Propaganda starts running on the TV and radio stations in Santa Cruz Region.

Saturday December 14: Official announcement of Autonomy in Santa Cruz, Tarija. Beni and Pando Regions. The headlines of the news “Un Pais; Dos Fiestas” (One Country; Two Parties”. And it was true, party they did. I could barely fall asleep because of the happy, drunken screams of my neighbors “Autonomiaaa”

To me there continues to be somewhat of an eerie type feeling, the country is deeply divided- but for the time being all sides are in denial and ignoring the other sides. It is a division between the truly indigenous people, whose ancestors lived here as long as 10,000 years and the people who have mixed European Bolivian heritage. It is a division between political parties. It is a division between those with money and those without. It is a division between regions of a single small country that over time has lost over half of its territory to its neighbors; Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Peace Corps has told us that things should continue to be calm into the New Year. I can’t help but wonder what will 2008 bring for Bolivia?