jennie Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2409.html Interview with Evo Morales, peasant leader and accused terrorist Bolivia is on the brink of civil war because of US drug war policies, and Evo Morales is at the centre of the conflict. An elected Bolivian congressman with the most votes in Bolivian history, former nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, leader of the Five Federations of Lowland Peasants and President of the Andean Confederation of Coca Leaf Producers – Evo Morales is a figure as important to Bolivian history and politics as Che Guevara, the radical leftist who was assassinated by CIA-trained and coordinated forces in 1967, and who has since become a legendary icon to Latin-American indigenous movements. Morales now stands accused of being a "terrorist," but he gave Cannabis Culture this exclusive interview, with our set of questions brought to him by Bolivian journalist Ivàn Canelas. What follows is translated from the original Spanish. Cannabis Culture: Are the war on drugs and the war on terrorism much the same thing? Evo Morales: The drug war and the war on terrorism, from our perspective, go together. Before it was communism, then they moved onto the war on narcotics, and now onto terrorism. They are all pretexts and excuses of the US for relatively peaceful control in many countries, though in others they assume the level of a low-intensity war. Q: Could you explain the difference between coca leaves and cocaine? [Coca] is not the same as cocaine. Coca leaves aren't damaging. The ones who convert it to cocaine are the narcotics traffickers, and perhaps those are the ones who should be detained. The farmers are victimized, while narcotics traffickers are happy in the city with the US doing nothing to sanction them. Their fortunes accumulate in Miami banks, and the US doesn't do or say anything. Q: Is the war against terrorism an excuse to destroy Bolivia's coca producers? Yes. Not only the coca producers, but all social movements that are against the model and against the system. Any social struggle will be classified as terrorism… and all will be excuses to avoid the social protests of thousands of people who are against the present system and US politics. They've accused us of being terrorists, with their only interest being to affect our fight, and only because we are brainstorming the social movement – the fight of the indigenous pueblos [villages, groups or peoples], for land and territory, defence of the coca, natural resources, amongst others. These fights irritate the present system because they oppose the model forced and imposed on Bolivia. They intend to continue exploiting our resources – our petroleum, gas and others – in ways that serve only the transnationals and not the people. Q: Could you comment specifically on US interest in Bolivia's oil and gas? Especially with gas and mining, they want to take the national parks and forest reserves before they fill up with so-called Indians and landless people from the countryside and the cities. I don't doubt that in the future, the requirement of (US aid) certification will not just be a drug war, but the ultimate handing over of all these lands. Q: Do you believe that the US wants to steal your land? That's their intention. Because the Chapare is strategic to their interests, including military interests, they want to impose their model of economic misery upon us, and we will not accept that. We fight not only to maintain our culture, but our tradition and wealth. They don't accept that we have a relationship with our land. Instead, they aspire for us to be agricultural labourers. That is to say, they aspire for us to work for others.They want to tear us away from our culture. That's why they try to give indigenous struggles, the defending of our villages and lands, a bad name. We are determined to fight for our culture so that they don't take our land and enrich only a few in return. Q: How did you feel when you were accused of being a terrorist? I didn't care. I know I am not. I fight for my people, my culture and so that the farmers can live better. If they say we are terrorists, it is only an excuse to repress us and kill us. Q: `Any social struggle will be classified as terrorism...` Are you peaceful? We have always been peaceful. We don't attack; we defend ourselves. The government transports military troops and police to the Chapare to kill us, and what can we do but defend ourselves? ................................... Absolutely no different than Canada, where Indigenous lands are held hostage and desecrated for bargain basement priced fossil fuels and jewels for American consumption, aided and abetted by Canadian governments. Edited October 10, 2007 by jennie Quote If you are claiming a religious exemption from the hate law, please say so up front. If you have no religious exemption, please keep hateful thoughts to yourself. Thank you. MY Canada includes Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
jefferiah Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) Cannabis Culture? Edited October 10, 2007 by jefferiah Quote "Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu
M.Dancer Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 Cannabis Culture? Where else would a tinpot warlord get respect? Quote RIGHT of SOME, LEFT of OTHERS If it is a choice between them and us, I choose us
jefferiah Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2409.html Evo Morales is a figure as important to Bolivian history and politics as Che Guevara, the radical leftist who was assassinated by CIA-trained and coordinated forces in 1967, and who has since become a legendary icon to Latin-American indigenous movements. They even got a mention of Ernesto in the article. Great batch of heroes they have over at Cannabis Culture. Edited October 10, 2007 by jefferiah Quote "Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu
ScottSA Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 We don't attack; we defend ourselves. The meaningless perennial pan-excuse for killing. Hitler was only defending the volk against the Jew, Roosevelt was defending motherhood and apple pie, bin Laden was defending the ummah against the Great Satan, Bush is defending freedom, and on and on it goes. It's a meaningless marketing pap phrase used to fluff up text. Certainly not one to bold and point at saying "see?" Quote
jefferiah Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 Where else would a tinpot warlord get respect? Rabble.ca, Mohawk Nation News Quote "Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu
buffycat Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 Hi jennie, Thanks for posting this! Evo talks straight - I nice change from the usual BS we get up here via our politicians. I'm just wondering if you have had a chance to view John Pilger's War on Democracy? Very good documentary wrt the US' involvement in the affairs of Latin and South America. Evo is featured along with Chavez as Pilger takes a good long look at the mess the corporate US has made of so many countries down there. Here is the link: War on Democracy by John Pilger I'd love to hear what you think. Pilger is IMO one of the very few REAL journalists left out there. Kudos to such a brave soul. Quote "An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind" ~ Ghandi
JB Globe Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 Isn't this a little dated? After all, he is the prez now. Quote
ScottSA Posted October 10, 2007 Report Posted October 10, 2007 Isn't this a little dated? After all, he is the prez now. He defended himself well. Right into the presidency. Quote
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