LatinAm-BOLIVIA

ANDRE VLTCHEK—Chileans have been fighting and dying, trying to depose a neo-liberal system, forced down their throats ever since 1973 by the Los Chicago Boys. The Bolivian socialist government, successful, democratic and racially inclusive, has been overthrown, by Washington and Bolivian treasonous cadres. People have been dying there, too, on the streets of El Alto, La Paz, and Cochabamba.

RT.COM—Ben Norton: “The corporate media has been spreading a lot of lies and distortions to justify the right-wing US-backed coup in Bolivia. The top court ruled Evo was allowed to run again for president. He won re-election fairly. The opposition is overthrowing democracy.”

ANDREW KORYBKO—There is no realistic chance that the Hybrid War on Bolivia will be “peacefully” resolved unless President Morales resigns since the US-backed “opposition” is braying for blood and will do whatever they have to in their pursuit of power. Even if he’s deposed (be it by resigning under pressure or being overthrown by the military), however, there’s no telling whether his mostly indigenous supporters will simply surrender or if they’ll organize to defend the hard-earned rights that they received during his tenure but which are at risk of being rolled back by the “opposition”.

ANDREW KORYBKO—There are several key variables that will determine the course of forthcoming events. The first is whether or not the “opposition” will de-escalate their Hybrid War campaign against President Morales. If they follow his lead and start backtracking on their demands that he resign, then it would be a sign that they want to return to the status quo “ante bellum” prior to the “disputed” vote. On the other hand, they might just press forward with those same demands and insist that he must resign before the next vote takes place and that a “caretaker government” assume control of the state in the interim to ensure that the forthcoming elections are conducted in a “free and fair” environment, one that would probably be overseen by US-backed OAS “representatives”.

PEPE ESCOBAR—All eyes now should be on Bolivia. As of this writing, President Evo Morales won Sunday’s presidential elections in the first round – obtaining, by a slim margin, the necessary 10% spread for a candidate to win if he does not obtain the 50% plus one of the votes. Morales essentially got it right at the end, when votes from rural zones and from abroad were fully counted, and the opposition had already started to hit the streets to apply pressure. Not surprisingly, the OAS – servile to US interests – has proclaimed a “lack of trust in the electoral process”.