Evo Morales, Photo: ABI

New Politics in Old Bolivia: Public Opinion and Evo Morales

Evo Morales, Photo: ABI
Nearly two years into the presidency of Evo Morales, government officials and leftist social organizations are determined to break with the past and transform the nation. The opposition calls it a civil war. The government calls it a revolution. Other Bolivian activists and analysts call it business as usual. A look at public opinion and recent conflicts in Bolivia exposes the challenges facing Bolivia's first indigenous president.

"Nationalized" Bolivian Gas Plant

Latin America’s New Petro-Politics

"Nationalized" Bolivian Gas Plant
In his 2006 State of the Union address, President Bush famously stated that "America is addicted to oil." He soon followed that proclamation with an announcement that his solution to the addiction is to diversify U.S. sources of oil - not to diversify away from oil with clean, renewable sources of energy.  That is sure to mean increased U.S. political attention to Latin America. Oil multinationals are already looking to intensify drilling operations in Latin America, because that's where the oil is.

A protest against TILMA

Free Trade Under Fire in Canada

Protests Against TILMA
Plans to deepen Canada's embrace of trade liberalization and deregulation are running into new pockets of resistance. A wave of protest has risen in western Canada over a new trade deal between British Columbia and Alberta. Embracing the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) model, this new accord goes by its acronym 'TILMA'-the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement.