August 20, 2007
Dear Media Colleagues,
The complexities of Bolivia's situation today present a particular challenge for journalists. The organizations listed below represent a variety of sources with significant experience and expertise in Bolivia on a range of issues with the ability to interpret today's events in their historical context and in the context of general U.S. policy toward the region.
The memos below by leading experts assess the Morales administration's policies in the areas of drug control, the domestic economy, trade and investment strategies, nationalizations, international relations, and land reform. Three additional memos analyze the judicial proceedings against former President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, the work to date of the Constitutional Assembly that is re-writing the country's constitution, and the communications media within Bolivia. Please note that the views expressed in each memo reflect the positions of the authors and not necessarily those of the other organizations participating in this effort. Each memo provides contact information for the author, who can provide you with additional information and contacts in Bolivia who can speak to the specific issues raised in their memo.
We are sending you this packet of information as Bolivian President Evo Morales is approaching the end of his second year in office. Elected with an unprecedented mandate for change, the Morales government has taken steps to address popular demands – such as capturing more revenues from the country's rich natural resources for the state and launching new initiatives to improve the lives of the country's poor, who make up the majority of the population. Yet the government has faced tremendous obstacles and has had difficulty in delivering on many of its promises. Efforts to ensure a more equal distribution of political and economic resources have inevitably met with resistance from some sectors and have furthered the social, economic and racial fissures that run through Bolivian society. The outcome of the effort to rewrite the country's constitution remains unclear.
We hope the information provided in this packet will be useful for you in your reporting on Bolivia and hope to hear from you in the future.
Sincerely Yours,
Coletta Youngers – "Bolivian Drug Control Policy"
Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) www.wola.org
Kathryn Ledebur – "Bolivian Drug Control Policy" and "Bolivia's Constitutional Assembly"
Andean Information Network (AIN) www.ain-bolivia.org
Douglas Hertzler – "Bolivia's Agrarian Revolution"
Andean Information Network (AIN) www.ain-bolivia.org
Sarah Anderson – U.S.-Bolivia Trade and Investment Relations
Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) http://www.ips-dc.org
Nadia Martinez – Bolivia's Nationalization
Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) http://www.ips-dc.org
Mark Weisbrot – Bolivia's Economy – An Update
Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) www.cepr.org
David Kane – U.S. Must Assist in Bringing Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada and Accomplices to Justice Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns www.maryknollogc.org
Chris Krueger – Bolivia's International Relations and Notes on the Communications Media in Bolivia
Bolivia Ground