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Headlines : InternationalSerious US Interference in Bolivia
To my knowledge, this developing story currently appears only on the pages of Havana-based Prensa Latina and it has serious implications about a new wave of U.S. intervention throughout Latin America.
According to Prensa Latina, Bolivian commando forces backed by the U.S. Embassy and the C.I.A. have recently seized a cache of missiles supplied by China in 1993, drawing sharp criticism from Presidential Candidate Evo Morales.
Morales, an indigenous leader who is in a tight race for the Presidential elections scheduled for December, but hampered by recent, controversial redistricting initiatives is asserting that the seizure is a provocation, and may lead to accusations of treason on the part of any Bolivian officials involved.
This situation could further destabilize the tenuous elections – recent polls suggest Morales and the MAS (Movement Towards Socialism) are frontrunners, a prospect that probably doesn’t thrill the Bush Administration. Keep a close eye on how the U.S. media spins this story, if and when it is reported.
Note: Links to the original articles at PLenglish have given me trouble in the past, so I’ve linked to Prensa Latina’s hompage (it loads very slowly, so be patient). Here are the links to the original articles:
MAS Denounces Serious US Interference in Bolivia
Doubts Persist on Removal of Missiles from Bolivia
[Posted By OCoileain]Republished from Prensa Latina
MAS Denounces Serious US Interference in Bolivia
La Paz, Oct 19 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian presidential candidate Evo Morales denounced Wednesday that troops at the service of the US seized 28 land-air missiles supplied by China to Bolivia and sent them to the United States.
In his news conference, Morales said that “patriotic soldiers” who opposed the operation that took place a few days ago reported the despicable interference to his political party, Movement towards Socialism (MAS).
Consulted by phone, presidential spokesman Julio Pemintel refused to comment and said he had requested information on the matter from Defense Minister Gonzalo Molina.
Morales explained that a Bolivian commando force commanded by elements from the US Embassy and the CIA were involved in the seizure.
He denounced that the group raided an army facility in Viacha, near La Paz, where the missiles were seized and taken to the airport or to El Alto military base, and then were smuggled out of the country by air, supposedly bound for the US.
The weapons had been provided to Bolivia by the People’s Republic of China, in accord with bilateral military cooperation agreements.
The MAS presidential candidate considered it unacceptable to ride roughshod over a country’s dignity and, as a former soldier, he…
Posted by OCoileain
The pen is mightier!
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It sounds like the Bolivian Military is already planning for a Morales win at the polls. It sounds like they are “dis-arming” the country, which will make it easier to topple the Morales government once it wins. Brilliant move with the redistricting… that should buy them some time.