Benjamin Dangl, Author at Toward Freedom

The Machine Gun and The Meeting Table: Bolivian Crisis in a New South America

Benjamin Dangl September 16, 2008 Benjamin Dangl

Opposition Protesters (Telesur)

Upon arriving in Santiago, Chile on September 15 for an emergency meeting of South American heads of state, Bolivian president Evo Morales said, "I have come here to explain to the presidents of South America the civic coup d'etat by Governors in some Bolivian states in recent days." The conflict in Bolivia and the subsequent meeting of presidents raise the questions: What led to this meltdown? Whose side is the Bolivian military on? And what does the Bolivian crisis and regional reaction tell us about the new power bloc of South American nations?

Revolution! New Book Charts Roller Coaster Ride of South American Left

Benjamin Dangl September 9, 2008 Benjamin Dangl

Throughout the past eight years of the Bush administration, North and South America have politically and economically been heading in opposite directions. While Bush waged wars, curtailed civil liberties and spread neoliberalism, South Americans stopped corporate looting, ousted corrupt presidents and developed economies for people instead of profit. Journalist Nikolas Kozloff's new book, Revolution! South America and the Rise of the New Leftlooks behind the scenes and politics of this changing continent.

Beyond Voting: Guerrilla Gardeners, Outlaw Bicyclists & Pirate Programmers

Benjamin Dangl August 26, 2008 Benjamin Dangl

This US election year an unprecedented number of voters will likely head to the polls to cast their ballots in an exercise that should take just a few minutes to complete. But what about the rest of the minutes left in the year? Author and activist Chris Carlsson has some suggestions for social change beyond voting in Nowtopia, a new book about modern day rebels who, in his words, "aren't waiting for an institutional change from on-high but are getting on with building the new world in the shell of the old."

Communication Breakdown: How Cell Phones Hurt Communities

Benjamin Dangl August 12, 2008 Benjamin Dangl

It was a fresh morning after a night of rain and we were hiking up into the mountains in Southern France. The plants and trees glowed with green, vibrant life. Sheep and cows were meandering in the fields, and the sky was blue, stretching out for miles. Then I heard a faint beeping noise that didn't sound like a bird.

Pro-Morales Rally in La Paz, Bolivia in May, 2008

Total Recall in Bolivia: Divided Nation Faces Historic Vote

Benjamin Dangl July 23, 2008 Benjamin Dangl

Pro-Evo Morales Rally

In early July in Sicaya, Cochabamba, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced that if he wins the August 10 recall vote on his presidency, "I'll have two and half years left." But if he loses the vote, "I'll have to go back to the Chapare" to farm coca again. Though the recall vote is likely to favor Morales, it's unclear if it will resolve many of the divided nation's conflicts.

Polarizing Bolivia: Santa Cruz Votes for Autonomy

Benjamin Dangl May 8, 2008 Benjamin Dangl

Photo: Bolivia Indymedia

A vote for autonomy in Santa Cruz, Bolivia was passed by approximately 82% of voters on Sunday, May 4th. The vote endorses a move by Santa Cruz to, among other things, gain more control of gas reserves in the area and resist the central government's break up of large land holdings. Clashes during the vote in Santa Cruz left 35 injured. One man died from asphyxiation due to tear gas fired by police forces. The vote and conflict marks a new phase in the polarization of Bolivia, and a new challenge for the region.