1. Political declaration of "La Chispa", (the 4th International
sympathiser group) after May 4th 2008
Bolivia is in danger. Unite to overcome the oligarchs' "autonomist"
coup! Let us right now all together from bottom to top, organise the
Summit of workers, people and native population to defend the nation!
On May 4th, across entire Bolivia, millions took to the streets; they
responded to the call of their unions, community, youth village and
native organisations, to call with one voice: Long live United
Bolivia! Down with the illegal referendum and the Santa Cruz
oligarchs' autonomous constitutions!
Half a million marched in Cochabamba, another half-million in the El
Alto Workers' Assembly, tens of thousands in Potosi flooded Oruro's
Civic Avenue, and San Francisco de la Paz historic square; they showed
once more that the flame of Bolivia's revolution is still burning
bright, that the banners of the October 2003 and May-June 2005 fights
are still proudly waving in the wind. The working people who are
building the Bolivian nation out of their sweat and daily sacrifice
have stated that they are ready to defend Bolivia against the
secessionist attempts in the service of imperialism, by the bosses'
and landowners' who would drink our lifeblood and who, in Santa Cruz
and elsewhere, are cynically celebrating the forged results of the
illegal and rigged May referendum organised by Costas and Marinovick.
This resistance and readiness to fight to defend the nations and to
further the revolutionary changes in Bolivia were expressed even in
the Santa Cruz district: in Yacapani, San Julian, San Pedro, Cuatro
Ca=F1adas where there was no vote, in Plano 3000, Montero, Camiro and
other villages that refused to be deceived by the demagogy of the
consortiums who mobilised to expose the rigged and forged votes
(ballot boxes crammed in advance with YES ballot slips); they set the
ballot boxes on fire, they confronted the UJC fascist gangs. The fight
resulted in a high level of abstentions to that rigged referendum (a
39% rate according to the media) which adds up to the NO, null and
blank votes; this shows that the 85% greeted by the Santa Cruz
oligarchs actually shrink to half the number of voters permitted to
take part in that election imposed by privileged groups that have
always despised legality and objected to the demands of the oppressed
nation.
The May 4th mobilisation boosted the determination to fight in unity
that had already shown across the entire country on May 1st
demonstrations. In La Paz, the COB - after staging its own rally and
demonstration from the San Francisco Square - was represented on the
Murillo Square by one of its top officials standing next to Evo
Morales to defend the unity of all the popular sector against the
secessionist oligarchs. It showed that indeed it is possible and
needed to unite while respecting the political independence of the
organisations and movements when what is at stake is to defend the
nation against the plans of imperialism and of its lackeys who want to
destroy it.
The order of the day is to overcome the coup contrived by those
"autonomists"; for the time being, it is continuing and further phases
are to be expected with rigged elections that are being plotted in
Media Luna; on the basis of the strength of the organised people, it
is needed to guarantee the unity of the Bolivian nation as a primary
condition to make for the nationalisation of oil and gas resources, of
ENTEL; it is the condition to secure the achievement of the agrarian
reform, cleansing the lands in the eastern regions dominated by
landlords, to reinforce Comibol and secure the nationalisation of
Huatnuni and to retrieve the entire mine for the benefit of the State;
to end racism and the humiliations and oppression that victimise
native peoples. All that will come into being only if the territorial
integrity of Bolivia is secured, if it is not carved into "new
fatherlands" or "new republics" as is proposed by the bosses' and
landlords' consortiums who are the lackeys of Yankee imperialism!
How can one have a dialogue with those who are bent on destroying
Bolivia?
When he addressed the nation, President Evo Morales greeted the
resistance of the people of Santa Cruz "against a secessionist and
divisive Autonomy Status" and "the momentous mobilisations we
witnessed on this May 4th"; but he ended by calling the Prefects "to
set to working for a genuine autonomy based on the law" and on the new
Political Constitution of the State"
Meanwhile, Costas, who, together with his cronies, has repeatedly said
he does not recognise the new CPE, affirms that the country "demands a
contract", but only after other illegal referendums that are being
prepared in Media Luna. His partners openly say that the rigged vote
stood for "an impeachment referendum" of Evo Morales and numerous
pundits in the pay of the elites will say that the "only solution" is
an agreement between the new CPE and the oligarchs' autonomous
constitution.
No, comrades, we cannot give in an inch to the "autonomous
constitution" of the oligarchs! The only necessary accord is the one
expressed on May 1st and during the May 4th mobilisations, the pact
between workers' people's youth and native organisations, the COB, the
MAS and all the sectors of the oppressed people for unity in the fight
to proclaim the unity of the nation, the sovereignty of the Bolivian
people; oil, land, mines and natural resources do not belong to the
oligarchs in the pay of imperialism, they belong to the Bolivian
people!
No, the solution is not to negotiate adjustments with the new CPE and
the illegal autonomous constitutions of those who want to carve up the
nation in order to retain their privileges. The solution is the unity
of the exploited and oppressed people of all their organisations, to
impose their sovereignty and continue nationalising to implement the
October agenda! This unity must extend to the government which has
received a mandate from the majority of the people to meet their
demands: land, jobs and national sovereignty!
It was the May 4th Al Alto Assembly which set the way to materialise
the united anti-imperialist, anti- oligarchy front comprising the COB
that is needed in the present situation. Resolutions were adopted
declaring the "state of emergency in the mobilisation at El Alto, La
Paz and its 20 provinces and the people faced with the possible
implosion of our dear fatherland". In the same way, the state of
emergency was declared in the assemblies, marches and rallies in La
Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, Potosi and concluded with the proposal to
"Call the high summit of the social movements to outline a strategy of
united fight to defend the security of the inhabitants".
Let all the organisations take position for this Labour, Popular,
Native, Youth Summit to defend the Unity of Bolivia; let emergency
assemblies be called across the entire country to adopt measures in
defence and to give a binding mandate to their delegates for that
Summit, let the COB the CSUTC and all the national organisations that
represent the fight of our people join their efforts without barring
any, to decide on the date and place when that Summit will meet and
which our President Evo Morales must attend! Time is running short for
that Summit because the secessionist conspiracy is accelerating after
what happened on May 4th In Santa Cruz!
Comrades, we are not alone; the oppressed workers and peoples of our
continent, as in Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay, Mexico, are up and
ready to defend their nation's sovereignty against imperialism; in the
United States too, workers and youth are standing up against Bush's
war on Iraq. In the whole world, our exploited and oppressed brothers
are ready to sup****t our fight because they know that if the Bolivian
revolution is forced to step back, it will harm their own struggle for
liberation, while defeating the oligarchs with propel their own fights
forth!
Bolivia's working people, Bolivia's youth will never accept to step
back. As the young were chanting as they marched on to the San
Francisco Square where the La Paz May 4th Popular Assembly was met:
"Bush, bastard, Bolivia is not Kosovo"!
Let us join hands against the secessionist oligarchs! Up with United
Bolivia!
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