Legislative Agenda Loses Steam
Almost a month after the whirlwind legislative approval of the “short-term” judicial law, Bolivian government officials appear to be moving slowly on other issues. Although critics initially expressed concern about the MAS leadership’s propensity to aggressively “steamroller” their political agenda, no other major legislation has been passed. This suggests there is not consensus among MAS congressional members or blanket support for the full content of bills presented. Some proposed legislation, including the reformed Labor Code and the anticorruption law, are easily accessible to the public. However, other important legislative drafts are still not available, such as proposed military laws and changes to the Criminal Procedures Code.
Senate President Ana Maria Romero continues on indefinite medical leave of absence, recuperating from an emergency surgery. Her absence may be contributing to slow legislative processes.
President Evo Morales and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera each pledged half of their salary to help earthquake relief efforts in Chile and Haiti. Public officials subsequently complained that the government automatically took out 5% – 10% of their February salary for further relief funds, claiming that there have been similar deductions in the past.
The Morales administration has called for the election of a new human rights ombudsman (Defensor del Pueblo) to replace the acting interim officer. Seventeen of 37 candidates met initial qualifications. The Legislative Assembly has not yet announced when it will elect the new official.
Impunity Update: Military Makes More Excuses
Although Bolivian Military commanders claim that they complied with a court order to turn over all documentation from the 1980 Garcia Meza dictatorship, they continue to employ diversionary tactics to impede transparency. After the initial rejection, commanders allowed one state prosecutor to look at one drawer of a file cabinet for less than two hours, but not duplicate or remove any files. Next they delivered three small envelopes containing information unrelated to the cases under investigation, such as postcards from Garcia Meza’s travels. They also filed a series of motions to avoid sharing documentation.
The armed forces’ refusal to comply in full with the judges’ ruling and affirmations that any information given the prosecutors could not be made public provoked multiple protests. Several victims’ relatives began a hunger strike, Amnesty International stated that the information should be made public, and the political party of victim Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz, PS-1, asked that the files be made public.
Although the Morales administration had publicly required the armed forces to turn over their files, high ranking officials quickly began to back-pedal when faced with growing controversy. Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera told the press that the military had complied satisfactorily with the Court order:
“All the information from 1980 was turned over to the prosecutor and his investigative team. In other words, there is absolutely no impediment to the prosecutors and their team to examine the military documentation. There is no obstacle for the efforts of the attorney general’s office. I think that the public prosecutor’s office or one prosecutor is stepping outside his bounds. Hector Arce, President of the Chamber of Deputies, that lead prosecutor, Milton Mendoza shouldn’t turn the investigation into a ‘show for the media.'” (Los Tiempos 3/1/10)
In an unexpected turn of events, infamous retired colonel Luis Arce Gomez, known as Garcia’s Meza’s “Cocaine Minister” or the “Minister of Death, ”currently serving time in La Paz’s maximum security prison, challenged the military high command and Garcia Linera’s assertions, putting them in an uncomfortable position:
“I found out what happened from the report presented on the case… prepared by the First Army Corps Commander… What surprises and makes me most indignant is that the authorities in charge of the investigations failed to request detailed reports of these incidents, and that the army failed to turn over at the time, because they can be found in the Army Intelligence Journal of that era. These documents are currently in the Second Army Department, along with the appendix… that’s where you can corroborate what I am saying. I recommend that the army command present all those documents to the judicial authorities for their investigation.” (Erbol 3/10/10)
It remains unclear why Arce Gomez has not offered to testify about the specific content of the journals.
On March 10, the Morales administration announced that the Armed Forces motto would officially change to “Country or death, we will triumph,” a slogan popularized in Cuba. One political analyst ironically stated that in light of the military refusal to respect a civilian court order and the Defense Minister’s request to provide their files to prosecutors, perhaps the first part of the previous motto, “Subordination and perseverance,” inaccurately describes the institution’s stance, although they have clearly reaffirmed their “perseverance.” The executive decision received conflicting reviews from past commanders and provoked friction among the ranks.
Regional Elections
Gubernatorial and municipal elections will be held April 4. Candidates are ramping up campaign discourse and debate. One candidate from the PDC party offers 5 bread rolls for one boliviano (approximately $0.15) as his slogan. It is interesting to note that in the past, inflated prices for food products have carried significant weight in the minds of Bolivian voters, yet significant price increases for bread (over 100%) and other staples did not reduce support for MAS at the ballot box in the past.
The controversial MAS candidate for governor of Beni, ex-Miss Bolivia Jessica Jordan, received strident criticism from several Potosi mining cooperatives following her campaign proposal to send convicts to serve their sentences working in the mines. She failed to consider that this proposal would likely threaten the livelihood of currently employed miners. “The mines allow families to put bread on their table every day,” stated Jorge Solares, the secretary of conflicts for the Central Workers Union of Potosi. “Jessica may be a good actress and model, but [she’s not] a good politician. It is stupid to suggest that thieves and corrupt [individuals] should be sent to the mines in Potosi, La Paz and Oruro. Miners have a sense of dignity. Furthermore, [their work] is the activity that maintains the […] economy of the entire country,” Solares asserted. (Erbol 3/10/10) Jordan quickly apologized and suggested that perhaps convicts could serve their sentences in the sugar cane harvest.
Aggressors reportedly damaged a home belonging to members of Jordan’s family, although it remains unclear whether or not the attack was related to her recent comments. Vice President Garcia Linera denounced these political fear tactics and Jordan blamed members of the political opposition.
Human Rights
The U.S. State Department released its 2009 Human Rights Report on Bolivia on March 11. In comparison to the 2008 report and the last two International Narcotics Control Strategy Reports, the document demonstrates improved tone, greater balance and more objective content. The report seems to better represent both official and opposition positions regarding potential human rights violation in most cases. It also makes important distinctions regarding areas of concern such as relative freedom of speech and press and “community justice,” although the section on this issue is confusing and sometimes contradictory. A few other sections also lack clarity and precision.
For example, the report fails to mention allegations of Pando prefectural employees participating in the September 2008 incident resulting in the deaths of over a dozen campesinos and other civilians. Nor does the report call these events a “massacre,” continuing to dance around the subject as in the previous report.
On a related note, the lawyer representing the victims of the Pando incident, Mary Carrasco, denounced that the witnesses in the case remain subject to threats. Carrasco is seeking protection for the witnesses and their families.
Miss Universe Pageant
Bolivia remains on the list of finalist nations competing to host the Miss Universe pageant. On International Women’s Day, Bolivian feminist group, Mujeres Creando, complained that the pageant contradicted the government’s stated principles of gender equality and social justice:
“Miss Universe benefits the businessman, the industry of objectification, [takes advantage] of women and feeds patriarchy. Miss Universe is the machismo dumbing down of society.”
A photoshopped image distributed by the group depicts Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera and President Evo Morales lewdly observing a beauty pageant contestant. The face of the woman is obscurred by text reading, “I have no face, I am an object,” and her sash proclaims “Miss Humiliation.”