The decision by leaders of the Sub Central of the Indigenous Territory and National Isiboro Secure Park (TIPNIS), to initiate a 500-kilometre protest march on Bolivia's capital of La Paz capital has ignited much debate about the nature of Bolivia鈥檚 first indigenous led-government.
Evo Morales
Speaking to CNN en Espanol on July 27, Bolivian President Evo Morales said 鈥淲hen presidents do not submit to the United States government, to its policies, there are coups.鈥
His comments are backed by attempts by the US and Bolivia鈥檚 right wing to bring down his government.
Recently released WikiLeaks cables prove the US embassy was in close contact with dissident military officers only months before a coup attempt was carried out in September 2008.
But the close relationship between the US and Bolivia鈥檚 military has a long history.
War on drugs
Pablo Solon completed his term as Ambassador for the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations on June 30. As representative of a small and poor country, Solon has played a key role in perhaps the decisive political struggle of this century: the fight against climate change and the unjust economic system causing environmental and social crisis. On behalf of the Bolivian government led by indigenous President Evo Morales, Solon has pushed for the UN to enshrine the right to water as a human right, and led efforts to implement a Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth.
Bolivian President Evo Morales proposed enshrining the Rights of Mother Earth in international law to the United Nations General Assembly on April 23.
The proposal follows the Law on the Rights of Mother Earth that was enacted in Bolivia in January.
The 鈥渟hort鈥 law enacted is a set of principles. A more detailed version is expected later this year.
The law commits the government to steadily integrate renewable energy sources in order to achieve national energy independence.
鈥淏olivia is set to pass the world鈥檚 first laws granting all nature equal rights to humans,鈥 the Guardian said on April 10.
鈥淭he Law of Mother Earth, now agreed by politicians and grassroots social groups, redefines the country鈥檚 rich mineral deposits as 鈥榖lessings鈥 and is expected to lead to radical new conservation and social measures to reduce pollution and control industry鈥, the article said.
Venezuela鈥檚 petroleum corporation in the US, Citgo, announced on January 27 the start of its sixth year providing subsidised heating oil to low-income people in the US.
An estimated 132,000 households across the US will benefit from the program this year, amounting to US$60 million of savings.
The program is carried out with US non-profit group Citizens Energy Corporation. Joseph P. Kennedy II said: 鈥淓very year, we hear from families who struggle each and every day to put food on the table and heat their homes.
On December 31, the Bolivian government of President Evo Morales repealed a decree, passed five days earlier, to remove subsidies for fuel.
The repeal came after protests and discontent at the resulting price increases from many of the government鈥檚 poor supporters.
鈥淲hy is the government making us suffer during these days 鈥 I don鈥檛 understand, I don鈥檛 understand鈥, Carla, a housewife in El Alto told Radio Atipiri on New Years Eve.
On December 10, surrounded by union leaders and foreign dignitaries, President Evo Morales announced Bolivia鈥檚 new pension law at the headquarters of the Bolivian Workers Central (COB), the country鈥檚 militant national trade union federation.
The unprecedented and highly symbolic event was the result of a four-year negotiating process, during which the COB agreed to suspend its mobilisation for higher wages in exchange for comprehensive pension reform.
One government 鈥 that of Bolivia 鈥 stood alone against the world at December鈥檚 UN climate conference in Cancun, Mexico. It dared to reject an agreement endorsed by 191 other nations.
And Bolivia was right to do so. Cancun was a step backwards for action on climate change.
Pablo Solon, Bolivia鈥檚 ambassador to the United Nations, explained his country鈥檚 stance in the December 21 Guardian: 鈥淭he text replaces binding mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions with voluntary pledges that are wholly insufficient.
Bolivian Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera has posted all US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks that pertain to Bolivia on his official website, the Associated Press said on December 8.
The 2011 UN climate conference in Cancun, Mexico, is not expected to agree to sharp cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. But the UN and rich nations will push for the conference to endorse a carbon trading scheme to protect forests, known as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD).
Below is an 鈥渙pen letter to the indigenous peoples of the world鈥 from Bolivian President Evo Morales. Released in September, the letter calls for the protection of the world鈥檚 forests, and also for opposition to REDD and other carbon trading schemes.
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If at first you don鈥檛 succeed, redefine success. This phrase has become the unofficial motto of this year鈥檚 United Nations climate conference in Cancun, Mexico.
A week out from Cancun, which runs over November 29 to December 10, there is little hope of meaningful progress. Yet key players have sought to throw a shroud of official optimism over the looming failure.
Few Western politicians want a repeat of last year鈥檚 Copenhagen climate conference. They consider it a public relations disaster.
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