Bolivia's Richest Region Votes Solidly for Autonomy

slguy says on May 5, 2008, 07:35:

http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/ecuador-bolivia-call-for-south-a...

about halfway thru the above thread are some details on the bolivian military.

i don't see either side being stupid enough to escalate this into an armed struggle - intentionally. the individual states (santa cruz, tarija, etc.) have only cops, not military. but stranger things have happened...

rumors have been flying around santa cruz for more than a year about staging areas/military exercises w/ hugo's troops, but i never saw any real evidence. i would NOT be surprised to see el payaso sending in troops in support of evo, should it appear evo's in danger of being deposed. would be the "bolivarian brotherhood" response, i guess...

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

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Boatygringo says on May 5, 2008, 07:44:

I feel, there is a lot of social unrest in Colombia that only lacks a carismatic leader to start a revolution. Though the government would not alow one to exist, and would probably assasinate him. There is oppression of the poor by the monied class and the government that has led to some protests that are quickly put down by the local police and army with very little coverage in the newspapers or t/v. And before the Colombia huggers jump on me for facts. A recent Moto Taxie protest in Sincilao was put down by poilce with tear gas and tanks. Last year the Moto Taxies blocked the main roads into Down town Catagena that resulted in harsher restrictions on Moto Taxies, though a similar protest by bus drivers protesting Pica Place seems to have resulted in the idea being dropped. The concusion I make is Bus owners have money, moto taxis are poor. I also feel that the Goverment don't want ease of travel by the average person as seen by the high cost of intercity bus travel and air fares.

Boatygringo

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slguy says on May 5, 2008, 07:50:

"is oppression of the poor by the monied class"

you been talking to vlad and buggy again? ;)

you're really a gringo, boatygringo?

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

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sloopskipper says on May 5, 2008, 08:03:

Anything that causes trouble for Morales, Chávez, Correa, or Ortega can't be all bad for Colombia.

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sloopskipper says on May 5, 2008, 08:06:

Moto Taxie protest=revolution, that's a bit of a stretch.

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peteyw says on May 5, 2008, 08:09:

The moto taxis have blocked traffic in Cartagena every year I've been here to protest the restrictions the government puts on them. These restrictions only limit a few days a month that they can not carry paying passengers, usually they are off limits Fridays in downtown and the tourist sector. It is for safety reasons and also to help protect the auto taxi industry (particularly 'collectivos'), that has been really hurt by the moto taxi business as are the buses.

Maybe if the moto taxi drivers would stop carrying entire families and babies without helmets on their heads, it would cut down on the 3 to 5 moto deaths each month, not to mention the number of injuries.

The moto drivers counter by asking the government to provide them with alternative job opportunities.

Its every year.

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roquero says on May 5, 2008, 08:17:

As someone who is very familiar with the country directly to the south of Santa Cruz, Paraguay, I sense that the region of Santa Cruz has more in common with its southern neighbor than with La Paz.
It seems that a union of Santa Cruz with Paraguay would be a more natural alignment than the current situation.
The indigenous people of the southern provinces have more in common with the Guarani descendants of Paraguay than with the Aymara and other tribes up north.
Keep in mind that Bolivia and Paraguay fought a bloody war over the Chaco region, which separates the populated area of Paraguay from Bolivia, in the 1930s, and that Bolivia lost that conflict.
Paraguay so far has been a loyal US ally, and has permitted the US to operate an airstrip in the Chaco region, something which Hugo Chavez has been bringing up as evidence of a US plot to eventually foment armed conflict with Bolivia.
Also, a major player in FARC, Rodrigo Grande, was implicated in the kidnapping and murder of ex Paraguayan president Rafael Cubas' daughter 3 years ago.
Paraguay found email correspondence from FARC that provided evidence that FARC had provided money and training to the kidnappers.
We'll see what develops when ex-bishop Lugo takes office as President of Paraguay in August.
One of my best friends there, who is a relative of Lugo, tells me not to worry, that Lugo will not follow in the footsteps of Chavez or Evo Morales.
From what I see, he will probably be more like Lula of Brasil.
Let's see what happens, and hope that the next president of the USA pays more attention to what is going on in our backyard, rather than focusing all our attention on the other side of the globe.

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OhMy says on May 5, 2008, 08:39:

roquero says: "Let's see what happens, and hope that the next president of the USA pays more attention to what is going on in our backyard, rather than focusing all our attention on the other side of the globe."

Who says it´s your backyard? Bit of an imperlialistic statement you put out there. Perhaps instead of concentrating on the middle east, asia, south america, africa you can just concentrate on your OWN country for a change.

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roquero says on May 5, 2008, 09:07:

My own country is Cuba, Mr. High and Mighty
There is no imperialistic implication in my post, other than your own paranoid derivation.
El mundo es una aldea

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Rikito says on May 5, 2008, 10:07:

I do not mean to get into another thread, but the one thing in Colombia that I find absolutely insane is the concept of moto taxi drivers. Whoever thought of that idea must be a real plum. The motos themselves are dangerous and cause many of the road accidents. And then you see some clown driving down the highway with the driver, the kid, and the little lady, and only the driver has a Helmut. And the police…NADA! Why on earth would you want to get on such a taxi that drives where they want, drives on the right or left, drives down the middle of traffic, turns from wherever, cuts you off for no reason, and when you do something to upset them their response is, “hey, have some respect man.� I got your respect right here in my pants.

It is not life that matters, but the journey.

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miamimike says on May 5, 2008, 10:11:

Rikito-MotoConchos or Moto Taxis are very popular in many countries as its the only viable transportation many working poor can afford. I used Moto taxis all the time in the Philippines when I worked there. The only difference was that they had a Sidecar hooked to the Moto so that was much safer a the Rig was much more visible. Never heard of many accidents with them.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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Rikito says on May 5, 2008, 10:12:

Also, I have to agree with OhMy. The U.S. needs to get its house cleaned up before they start to clean the others. A long time ago in 1961, Dwight Eisenhower made a prophetic statement that has casued the U.S. untold problems in the word and in my mine has casued most of the problems in the U.S. and in other coutnries. Eisenhower said, "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." How correct he was.

It is not life that matters, but the journey.

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roquero says on May 5, 2008, 10:17:

Carajo!
You know, english was not my first language, but I think I speak and write it well enough to be clearly understood by those people who are native speakers.
Here is my statement in quotes:
"Let's see what happens, and hope that the next president of the USA pays more attention to what is going on in our backyard, rather than focusing all our attention on the other side of the globe."
Note that I said PAYS MORE ATTENTION
I did not say CLEAN UP
I did not say INVADE or INTERFERE
PAYS MORE ATTENTION, as far as I understand the meaning of the term, means be more aware, be more sympathetic, do not ignore.
Or does it mean something else?
I am amazed by the things people infer from such a simple statement.
I think it reveals more their prejudices than any they ascribe to me.

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slguy says on May 5, 2008, 10:24:

don''t let 'em bother you, roquero. there's lots of folks here that'll use any excuse to dump on the US - until they need us.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

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Waterdawg says on May 5, 2008, 11:27:

Ain't that the truth " Slguy " ?

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tomtom33 says on May 5, 2008, 11:34:

The US house will never be clean. I never realized that it was necessary to be perfect before attempting to help others no matter how wrong-headed that help may appear to be to some.

If you want perfect help, you ain't gettin' none.

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miamimike says on May 5, 2008, 13:59:

TT--the US House today is a lot cleaner then it was prior to Nov2, 2006--We did a "Real" House cleaning that day...LOL,,,Soon we will do a "real" cleaning in the Big House and the Job will be complete,,,LOL

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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billyb says on May 5, 2008, 14:30:

Mike, idealogy aside, do you really think there will be any more integrity with the Clintons back in that house?

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aztec says on May 5, 2008, 14:40:

Clinton's and integrity? Now that is an oxymoron!

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billyb says on May 5, 2008, 15:12:

By Morales' own definition, his election was illegitimate then, since he got less than 50% of the possible votes. You can't have it both ways. So, when is he going to resign?

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billyb says on May 5, 2008, 15:23:

How do you know that all the ones not voting were abstaining and thus against the referendum? Do you jnow what the normal turn out is in Bolivian elections? You need to find out the normal voting and subtract that from the 61% this election and if the normal number is greater thatn in this election (which i doubt) then you can subtract the difference from the 84% YES vote, and you would still have 70% plus.

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billyb says on May 5, 2008, 15:29:

if I was addressing somebody that would understand something more intelligent, i certainly would. BTW, Bugster, read the new rules, I'm thinking that you are on the way out if you don't shape up ;)

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