The constituent assembly election and referendum on autonomy which took place on July 2 here in Bolivia has revealed many interesting things about the new Morales administration. It tells a lot about the relationship between the government and the country’s strong social movements. It also offers some suggestions about where this government might be headed and what can be expected from the right wing parties. The MAS did win a victory, but what this means, and what autonomy for various provinces means, is still up the air. Keep your eyes peeled on the website for an upcoming in depth article exploring these issues. If you’re dying to see some good news right now in English about it, take a look at the various (here and here) blog entries on the topic on Jim Shultz’s Blog from Bolivia.
I spend a lot of my time interviewing people and preparing questions for interviews to be used in the book I am writing which will be published by AK Press this March called “The Price of Fire: Resource Wars and Social Movements in Bolivia.†It’s also been good to meet up with friends I made on previous trips to Bolivia. Luckily, I am in a great apartment with an incredible view – thanks to the generous Nick Buxton (check out his blog here) who is away in England for a bit, and so invited some friends of his to stay at his place while he was gone (thanks Nick!).
Some cool experiences that I’ve had this past week include visiting a hip hop concert on the outskirts of La Paz where young hip hop artists from around the city rapped about revolution, indigenous culture, family problems and the street. We visited the very successful Teatro Trono in El Alto where homeless kids are involved in theatre and art, and listened to speeches by president Evo and vice president Alvaro in the Plaza San Fransisco during their closing event for the electoral campaign.
In other news…an interview on US Labor policy abroad transcribed and published on Upside Down World was chosen by LiP Magazine as one of their media picks, “The Best of the Rest of the Web.”
And for those interested in following the Mexican presidential elections, check out this article and collection of links on Americas.org