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Bolivia on the Brink
New York Sun ^ | April 8, 2008 | JAIME DAREMBLUM

Posted on 04/09/2008 10:25:05 PM PDT by Ooh-Ah

There is an emerging mini-me of Hugo ChavezEvo Morales, the president of Bolivia. And his country is starting to pay the price for it. Bolivia may end up not merely fragmented but wracked by bloodshed if Mr. Morales continues to emulate the senseless and destructive policies of his patron.

Mr. Morales has turned frequently to the Chavez playbook on "revolutionary" brinkmanship for policy guidance. From promoting a bespoke constitution, which removed inconvenient term limits, to undermining democratic institutions, to approving populist measures that hurt poor people the most, he has made all the moves favored by his role model.

Unlike Mr. Chavez, however, Mr. Morales faces open and at times violent revolt in his country. Since nationalizing the gas and oil industry in May 2006 — a May Day gift for the Bolivian people, Mr. Morales claimed — he has not come up with a fair way to distribute the new tax revenues. This failure, along with new regulations on coca growing and the president's unabashed attempts to exercise absolute power, has generated increasing unrest.
...

In yet another attempt to emulate his mentor, Mr. Morales is cozying up to President Ahmadinejad. With Mr. Morales's typically skewed priorities, he has arranged to install an Iranian television station in the province of Chapare, even as he threatens to eject USAID officers. This comes at a time when an increasing number of Cuban and Venezuelan security agents and military personnel are in the country to assist Mr. Morales.

(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: ahmadinejad; bolivia; chapare; chavez; cuba; evomorales; hugochavez; iran; latinamerica; usaid; venezuela

1 posted on 04/09/2008 10:25:06 PM PDT by Ooh-Ah
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To: Ooh-Ah

Think of the bright side, if he’s deposed, with his hair, he could play Anton Chigurh’s brother in the sequel to “No Country for Old Men.”


2 posted on 04/09/2008 10:34:28 PM PDT by sinanju
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To: Ooh-Ah

Perhaps we should get in on the meddling and send arms and advisors to the four breakaway departamentos in question.


3 posted on 04/09/2008 10:37:53 PM PDT by sinanju
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To: sinanju

Call it, friendo...

If he has hair left... otherwise, he might look like a tall latin version of Verne Troyer (mini me ref)..


4 posted on 04/09/2008 10:39:09 PM PDT by Schwaeky (The Republic--Shall be reorganized into the first American EMPIRE, for a safe and secure Society!)
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To: sinanju
Perhaps we need to find our own oil to stop sending money to these tinpot dictators. It's all about oil. Always has been, always will be.

If we were energy self sufficient, Achminijad, Chavez, OPEC, Indonesia, Mexico, you name it, would have to get real jobs.

5 posted on 04/10/2008 12:08:12 AM PDT by chuckles
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To: Ooh-Ah

Morales proves once again that there’s no bad situation that a Marxist can’t make worse. On that score they’re perfect. Poor citizens around the world will forever be suckers for the populist leftists who promise to redistribute the wealth. Instead the wealthy usually depart leaving the country poorer than ever.


6 posted on 04/10/2008 12:52:42 AM PDT by driftless2
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To: Ooh-Ah

There are places - and this is one - where I think the world has gone blinking mad.


7 posted on 04/10/2008 2:13:20 AM PDT by SatinDoll (Desperately seeking a conservative candidate.)
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To: Ooh-Ah

don’t worry ~ b. HUSSEIN will talk to him!!!


8 posted on 04/10/2008 3:28:36 AM PDT by nyyankeefan
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To: Ooh-Ah

In a world of uncertainties, you can be fairly confident of regime change in Bolivia!


9 posted on 04/10/2008 11:02:55 AM PDT by TexasRepublic (When hopelessness replaces hope, it opens the door to evil.)
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