Recent events in Bolivia in the context of the water and gas wars prompted me to find out more about Movement to Socialism’s (MAS) deputy Evo Morales. The following was published as an interview by Sabrina Duque of the Peruvian newspaper “El Comercio”. It gives an insight into the thinking of this influential politician who is paving the way to retain Bolivia’s sovereignty over its natural gas resources and is refusing to give in the ruling classes The latter favor the interests of the multinational energy companies, rather than those of the Bolivian people.

Evo Morales’ thesis on the table  

His great passion is soccer which now has him convalescing. A week ago he underwent knee surgery in Cuba. He says he only sleeps three hours a day since he is preparing the big march which will last seven days and reach La Paz to demand that the oil companies pay 50% royalty to the State.

He still plays soccer, but his priority is the social struggle. It all began at the start of the 80’s during the dictatorship of Luis Garcia Mesa, when a neighboring coca farmer was burnt alive by anti narcotic agents. “Until that moment I thought that the President was like a God for the country.” He has been blocking roads ever since.

They call him the “king of the blockades”.

Q: Isn’t this creating a dangerous scenario for someone who wants to be President?

EM: If there weren’t any road blockades, there would not be any Movement to Socialism or Evo Morales. Blocking the roads is an instrument of economic, social and even political vindication.

Q: And if you get to be President and they do the same to you?

EM: First we protest. If they don’t want dialogue then we move on to the blockades. I am going to seek dialogue.

Q: What is your strategy to reach the Presidency in a country that is blockaded and divided?

EM: To continue as before, together with the social movements. We indigenous people have the right to govern ourselves.

Q: Isn’t this a racist discourse leading to exclusion?

EM: No, we’re not going to submit to anybody. The indigenous people do not exclude but include everyone. We will recover our natural resources for the people.

Q: Would you apply an adjustment program in the style of the IMF?

EM: We would never subordinate economic policy to the IMF or the World Bank.

Q: And fiscal discipline?

EM: First of all austerity, so as not to go begging to the international institutions. Secondly, generate money from our own natural resources, which should be in the hands of the State. While the multinationals control these resources, there will never be autonomy. Also, we will have to deprivatize basic services and eliminate bureaucracy and mayoralties.

Q: What would you do with the fiscal deficit? How would you finance it?

EM: The deficit is US$300 million. Oil generates US$1500 million a year. With the 50% royalty that we are demanding, there will be US$750 million left over. That’s how we will pay the deficit and there will be money left over for health and education.

Q: Do you believe in subsidies? How would you finance them?

EM: I do not offer subsidies.

Q: Do you admire Fidel Castro. A communist Bolivia?

EM: Look, there a steps. Communist comes from meaning “living in a community, being reciprocal and showing solidarity”. I come from Orinoca (Oruro) where there is no private property. There is an agricultural area for the community, called the “ayllu”.

Q: In Mexico you said that “western culture should be stopped in its tracks”. Is this a fundamentalist position?

EM: Here there is a confrontation between two cultures: that of life, which is that of the indigenous peoples, and that of death, where Mother Earth becomes just another product and all that matters is profit.

Q: Certain analysts say that you do not have a clear vision of the country, just of the coca farmers…

EM: They are just yankee puppies. They talk like Roger Noriega and Condoleeza Rice. I feel happy since they are campaigning for me from the White House. It would be worse if they didn’t mention me. They talk badly about me, but they talk.

Q: The US Embassy called you the Andean Bin Laden..

EM: They say that about me and they also call the coca farmers talebans. They say I spend US$100.000 a month. And that Hugo Chavez gave me a million bucks to get rid of Sanchez de Lozada. It’s all bull.

Q: If you win the Presidency, are you worried about a rupture with the US?

EM: It doesn’t matter. We respect bilateral relations, but if they want to break them, let them do it.

Q: “Coca isn’t a drug”, is what you coca farmers say…

EM: There is legal consumption such as in the coca tea (mate de coca) I drink. The coca leaf does not damage your health in its natural state. They produced the first local anesthetics from it. Portugal and Italy buy it for pharmacological applications. There are also energizer drinks, liquor, shampoo, tooth paste, a mixture that burns fat… It’s the US that does not let it be used industrially, since they want for the essence of Coca Cola. If they criminalize coca, why not Coca Cola as well?

Q: If you were President, would you end the anti narcotics policy?

EM: The “zero coca” policy would be ended, not the anti drugs or policy against drug running. I don’t like coca being turned into cocaine. This just gives the US an excuse to try and control other countries. If the US wants to fight drug running, why no eradicate the consumption, or fight against the banking secrecy laws or stop the sales of synthesizing agents? The US was the first defender of the terrorists who were dictators in Bolivia, and so President Bush is the world’s number one terrorist. There is no real struggle against terrorism or drug running: it is just a pretext to control us. I condemn terrorism but do not agree with the practices of the US.

Q: What incidence has Plan Colombia had in Bolivia?

EM: None. I suggested to Kofi Annan in Santa Cruz that coca leaf should be decriminalized. Criminalizing it has nothing to do with the fight against drug trafficking.

Q: What does it mean to pay the external debt with coca?

EM: I’ve never proposed that. I heard when I was young that a drug trafficker from Bolivia said it, not me.

Translated by Carlos Herrera