Voices from Latin America

Stories from Bolivia's Challenge to Globalization

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:49:00 +0000

This video accompanies the book "Dignity and Defiance: Stories from Bolivia's Challenge to Globalization". For more information, check out the website: www.democracyctr.org/book

Do not put 20,000 Bolivians out of work

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:07:00 +0000

If President Bush implements his threat to remove Bolivia from the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPDEA), more than 20,000 innocent Bolivian workers may find themselves out of a job just as the president leaves his. With the global economy already reeling, Bush's plan would thrust these workers and their families into unemployment in South America's most impoverished nation.

The victims of President Bush’s move will be women and and men who eke out modest livings as weavers, jewelry-makers and carpenters, creating products for U.S. markets. Regardless of whatever disputes the U.S. government may have with President Morales, it certainly has more reasonable ways of addressing them than putting innocent people out of work, especially in a moment when the world needs all the honest economic exchange it can come by.

The Democracy Center, based in Cochabamba, Bolivia, has begun this petition to give people an opportunity to speak out against President Bush's plan. On October 31 we will present the petition, including the names of all who sign it, as part of our formal comments to the Bush administration, as allowed under U.S. law. Sign it now!

VOICES FROM LATIN AMERICA

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:19:00 +0000

Voices from Latin America, is a campaign that seeks to bring Latin American perspectives into the U.S. debate. www.democracyctr.org/voices

Ana Ella Gómez from El Salvador

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Ana Ella Gómez works in the area of research and advocacy at the Center for Consumer Defense in El Salvador. The Center is a civil society organization whose objective is to contribute to the construction of a widespread consumer movement with the capacity to influence public policy, with emphasis on public services in favor of citizen interests and needs, especially for those who are most vulnerable and affected by the current economic model. Ana also supports the promotion and coordination of campaigns and initiatives for political advocacy on these subjects. Anas words in this interview place special emphasis on the United States interventionist policy in Latin America.

Nelly Avendaño from Perú

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:04:00 +0000

Nelly Avendaño is a water and basic public service defender in Peru. Since 2004, she has been fighting, along with the Water Defense Front, against the privatization of this basic resource. Currently she is working with her community, Huancayo, to build a new model for public water management. It will be a model that is modern, participative, and efficient. Nelly strongly questions the sale of water and natural resources as promoted in the Free Trade Agreement, signed recently between the Peruvian and the U.S. government.

Condoning Unlawful External Debt: a voice from Uruguay

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:02:00 +0000

Eduardo Busollo is a member of the National Commission in Defense of Water and Life in Uruguay. Eduardo calls for eliminating the pressure for payment of unlawful external debt that drags down Latin American countries, which, as he mentions, was acquired during dictatorial regimes in past decades. He also recommends that the United States government stop acting by force and take responsibility for problems at home before trying to solve those that other countries have.

Power of the People

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:56:00 +0000

Vote is not enough? We want deep changes! A Bolivian explains to a gringo the impact of U.S. policies have in Latin America. This is political humor showing how people from the U.S. and Latin America can work together to influence in the decisions that impact BOTH of our lives.

Free Trade Agreements and Argentina

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:23:00 +0000

Guillermo Amorobieta is a union leader of the water and sewer system company of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is linked on an international level with networks which work on water and public services issues. Guillermo shows us an overview of the negative effects of Free Trade Agreements imposed by the government of the United States on countries of the South.

Bolivia and Impunity

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:22:00 +0000

Eva Isabel Carvajal is an investigator with the Center of Superior University Studies in the city of Cochabamba. Among her investigations are the topics of budget and oil and gas. Here in this video, Eva talks about the criminal acts of Bolivias ex-president González Sánchez de Lozada (Goni), who is currently residing in the U.S. under impunity. Eva also asks the United States citizens what they will do to extradite Goni so that he can return to Bolivia to face his crimes.

Betchel Water Action

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:55:00 +0000

Sharing stories of solidarity

Eight Opinions from Bolivia

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:44:00 +0000

We asked eight Bolivians the question, what impact does the United States have in Bolivia? Some answered on a personal level, some at the political. All had something to say.

We are very affected. We are constantly bombarded by their marketing, their politics. In a more indirect way, we are affected by their movies that are shown on all the television stations in the country, which begins to change even the ways we think.
Pablo Ramos, Industrial Chemist

Some Bolivians go to the United States to work, and they come back, and are able to build a house, or provide for their families. Some Americans, too, come to Bolivia, to learn about Bolivian culture. Why do you think it is that here, some say, “Gringos, get out,” and there, “Get out, Bolivians”? For me, we are all equal, it’s not easy for anyone to be away from their home.
Doña Maxima, Domestic Worker

The United States’ influence is not direct. Their influence, above all in ideology, is brought to Bolivians bit by bit. The United States’ ambassador, for example, favors some groups over others. He has relationships and influence with the right-wing politicians and the big business owners of the east who control the economic powerhouse of the country. We feel their influence in the right’s ideology.
Mónica Medina, University Student

We admire the United States a lot – it’s very big, it’s one of the most powerful countries in the world, and its technology is very advanced, almost as much as China, Korea, or Japan. It seems beautiful, from everything we’ve see on T.V. – the diversity of its people, its cities, the land. The United States makes a big impression on us; we would like to be able to go there one day. If we had the chance, we wouldn’t need to think twice.
Anonymous Nutritional Counselors

In the economy, the United States has a huge impact. Hiding behind a mask of “aid”, the United States actually puts the brakes on our progress. They give you one, but they take two. For the first time, my country wants to walk without the influence of another country. We may have lost that one, but we have taken back the two.
Victor Hugo, Architect

To tell you the truth, I feel terrified by what is happening right now in my country. I ask the United States, please, don’t let this country that I love so much become another Cuba!
Rosario Cruz Aufrêre, Professional Grandmother

In Bolivia’s economy, the United States doesn’t have much effect. But that could change; we could export, say, fruit from the tropical regions. Like we used to export coca [as cocaine], no? How we wish we could export pineapples, bananas, palm hearts. Right now, we’re already exporting palm hearts to other countries, but not to the United States.
Leonor Reynaga Flores, Vegetable Vendor

The United States affects my life through its politics. As a Bolivian, I think that Bolivia has become a dump for all of the United States’ garbage. I see examples everywhere – the used clothing business, genetically modified foods, and others. Also, the politics of coca eradication affects the entire Chapare region. Unless we do something about it, the United States will keep doing its damage for our entire lives.
Ricardo Coca, University Student

Biofuels and World Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:15:00 +0000

An opinion from Bolivian researcher Santos Mamani about biofuels and world hunger.

Immigration and Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:07:00 +0000

Maria Gonzáles has worked for more than ten years for the integrated defense of Human Rights in Mexico with an emphasis on political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. Maria also participates in various networks, coalitions, and movements that work in defense of these rights. She is an activist for popular education and communication which contribute to active citizen participation. In her testimony here, Maria places emphasis on the negative effects of the Free Trade Agreement of North America in Mexico and on the effects of United States immigration policy towards her country.

A Question from Uruguay

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:23:00 +0000

US free trade policy in Latin America: My name is Carlos Santos and I am from the network - Friends of the Earth Uruguay. Here I launch a question from Latin America regarding the impacts of free trade policies and the protection of private investments as promoted by the United States within Latin America. The question is for the US governmental candidates.

A Video Question about Coca

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:28:00 +0000

No issue has been more contentious between the Bolivia and U.S. over the past decade than the issue of coca. The coca leaf has been a part of Andean civilizations for millennia, from medicinal use to rituals. It is also, when altered through an elaborate chemical process, the raw ingredient to manufacture cocaine.

The U.S. “War on Coca’ in Bolivia has left a stark trail of human rights abuses – from violent forced eradication efforts to the jailings of thousands of innocent people, courtesy of special anti-drug police and prosecutors paid by the U.S. government. Yet illegal drug use in the U.S. continues with little change.

Last November, we submitted a question on the coca issue to the You Tube Republican Presidential Debate. You can see it by clicking on the screen here, or via this link. We encourage readers to share the video with their friends, which you can do by clicking on the small envelope icon below.

The video was created by The Democracy Center staff in Bolivia and filmed and edited by our friends at the School for International Training, Ismael Saavedra, Michael Steiner and Talya Hernandez-Ritter.

Peace and Prosperity

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:14:00 +0000

Learning how listen and hear that we are in a process of change not only in Bolivia society but in the global society.

Coca Leaves to Obama

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:53:00 +0000

During the NH primary, Coca leaves were presented to Obama as a way to say that relationship between Bolivia and the US needs to be based on respect and Bolivian sovereignty needs to be recognized.

World Religions Say

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:57:00 +0000

The highest moral imperative that we have in exercising our rights as a democracy is work to end injustice and exploitation.

Hillary Clinton Questioned in New Hampshire

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:06:00 +0000

In January, on the eve of the pivotal New Hampshire primary, a friend of ours, Tim Provencal, a former Maryknoll lay missioner in El Alto, asked Hillary Clinton a question about Bolivia at a campaign forum in Dover. You can watch his question and Senator Clinton's response by clicking on the video link above. Or, for the Spanish subtitled version, click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-eCx5zqiJE&eurl=

Welcome to Voices from Latin America!

noreply@blogger.com (The Democracy Center) — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:03:00 +0000

We believe the United States can listen to the voices of people in Latin America. What our government does, what U.S. corporations do, what we do has a huge impact on real people around the world. This is particularly true of our neighbors right next door, in Latin America. That's why we, and our government, need to listen to what those neighbors have to say.

We believe that there is a new awakening in the United States. People across the country are beginning to learn more about and take action on our foreign policy. Educate yourself about realities of how US foreign policy affects people in Latin American. Use the testimonials here to advocate policies that are more just, fair and reasonable. The demand for change must come from the American people, and citizen participation in this election is crucial.

We believe that YOUR demand can shift the positions that our elected officials take. We need YOU to take action for strong leadership roles on issues of economic justice and a new relationship with Latin America (immigration, trade and the war on drugs).

This is the moment to get involved:

Watch and read the Voices testimonials and share them with your neighbors (link)
Ask questions of the candidates.
Take it to the press - write a letter to the editor.
This is your movement too. What skills, talents, and creative energy can you bring to it? See some successful actions that have been taken. Get inspired by stories of successful U.S.-Latin American activism.

Finally, if you are already active on Latin American policy, please tell us! We would love to get the word out about your efforts. Thanks!