Bolivian President Resigns
June 7, 2005
In the evening of June 6, the President of Bolivia Carlos Mesa announced his resignation from the highest post in the country. “I must admit that everything has come too far as it could come. I've taken a decision to resign as the President”, - Mesa declared in the evening TV address. Before taking this decision he had a twosome meeting with the US ambassador to the country and later with the national Armed Forces command. Nothing has been disclosed on the contents of their discussions.
Carlos Mesa did not rise to the historic moment having failed to break the class umbilical cord connecting him to the Bolivian oligarchy that used to arrange blood bath for the people to protect their own mercantile and other interests.
For four weeks, day after day the demonstrators presented their demands of socio-economic orientation to the authorities. The protesting masses called that the Constitution Assembly be held immediately to reform the Basic Law, including protection of rights of indigenous Indian population. Another not less important demand – nationalization of oil and gas sector, owned now by multinational corporations. Drastic contrast between the existing natural wealth and miserable conditions of Indians is evident. Bolivia possesses the second largest gas deposits in Latin America after Venezuela and at the same time it remains the poorest state of the continent. Demonstrators have also voiced their decisive “no” to the plans of autonomization (creeping separatism) of such provinces as Santa Cruz and Tarija, which are rich in energy resources.
Indian and trade union leaders call for resignation of Senate and Chamber of Deputies speakers that do not enjoy popularity amongst their people. According to Evo Morales – head of the Movement towards Socialism party (MAS) - the most acceptable figure at the post of acting president can become the Supreme Court Chairman Eduardo Rodriguez. He had not compromised himself by “under-carpet” links with former presidents Losada and Mesa.
The situation in La Paz keeps on aggravating. The traffic has been reduced to a minimum due to shortage of fuel. The prices of foodstuff have gone up, although the coca leaves used by the demonstrators to keep up their strength, are sold at the previous rates. The routes, connecting the city with rest of the country, have been blocked, which is very easy to do: just make a pile of rocks and stones, which are in abundance in this mountainous country.