Pablo Solon, Bolivia鈥檚 permanent representative to the United Nations, made the speech below at an April 20 session of the UN general assembly.
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Victor Hugo, the author of Les Miserables, once wrote: 鈥淗ow sad to think that nature speaks and mankind doesn鈥檛 listen.鈥
We are here today to attempt to have a dialogue not just among states, but also with nature. Although we often forget it, human beings are a force in nature.
Bolivia
鈥淏olivia is set to pass the world鈥檚 first laws granting all nature equal rights to humans,鈥 the Guardian said on April 10.
鈥淭he Law of Mother Earth, now agreed by politicians and grassroots social groups, redefines the country鈥檚 rich mineral deposits as 鈥榖lessings鈥 and is expected to lead to radical new conservation and social measures to reduce pollution and control industry鈥, the article said.
In 2005, the people of Bolivia, the poorest country in Latin America, elected the poor nation鈥檚 first Indigenous president: Evo Morales from the Movement for Socialism (MAS).
Since then, the people鈥檚 struggles to end multinational corporations鈥 plunder of Bolivia鈥檚 natural resources, and for forms of development and democracy that meet the needs of the majority, have captured the attention of oppressed people around the world.
On December 31, the Bolivian government of President Evo Morales repealed a decree, passed five days earlier, to remove subsidies for fuel.
The repeal came after protests and discontent at the resulting price increases from many of the government鈥檚 poor supporters.
鈥淲hy is the government making us suffer during these days 鈥 I don鈥檛 understand, I don鈥檛 understand鈥, Carla, a housewife in El Alto told Radio Atipiri on New Years Eve.
On December 10, surrounded by union leaders and foreign dignitaries, President Evo Morales announced Bolivia鈥檚 new pension law at the headquarters of the Bolivian Workers Central (COB), the country鈥檚 militant national trade union federation.
The unprecedented and highly symbolic event was the result of a four-year negotiating process, during which the COB agreed to suspend its mobilisation for higher wages in exchange for comprehensive pension reform.
One government 鈥 that of Bolivia 鈥 stood alone against the world at December鈥檚 UN climate conference in Cancun, Mexico. It dared to reject an agreement endorsed by 191 other nations.
And Bolivia was right to do so. Cancun was a step backwards for action on climate change.
Pablo Solon, Bolivia鈥檚 ambassador to the United Nations, explained his country鈥檚 stance in the December 21 Guardian: 鈥淭he text replaces binding mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions with voluntary pledges that are wholly insufficient.
Bolivian Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera has posted all US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks that pertain to Bolivia on his official website, the Associated Press said on December 8.
The 2011 UN climate conference in Cancun, Mexico, is not expected to agree to sharp cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. But the UN and rich nations will push for the conference to endorse a carbon trading scheme to protect forests, known as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD).
Below is an 鈥渙pen letter to the indigenous peoples of the world鈥 from Bolivian President Evo Morales. Released in September, the letter calls for the protection of the world鈥檚 forests, and also for opposition to REDD and other carbon trading schemes.
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A Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) meeting was planned in La Paz, Bolivia on November 10, for ALBA鈥檚 Latin American nation members to advocate for a common position on the defence of the rights of Mother Earth.
ALBA is an anti-imperialist bloc of eight nations led by Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia.
Bolivian environment minister Maria Esther Udaeta said the meeting would discuss the position of ALBA nations at the next United Nations climate summit at Cancun in December.
Alina Canaviri Sullcani is a Bolivian indigenous peasant now visiting Australia. Canaviri is active in Santa Cruz as a leader of the National Federation of Indigenous Peasant Women of Bolivia 鈥淏artolina Sisa鈥 and the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party led by President Evo Morales.
Canaviri spoke at the Latin America solidarity conference in Melbourne over October 8-9 and will be a featured guest at the solidarity conference held in Sydney over October 16 and 17 (visit www.latinamericasolidarity.org for details).
A series of problems and challenges are facing the Bolivian government of President Evo Morales, the country鈥檚 first indigenous head of state, and the process of change it leads has emerged. There has been a range of commentary on these challenges. 91自拍论坛 Weekly publishes these two pieces as part of our ongoing coverage of the Latin American revolution. The article below is by Eduardo Paz Rada, editor of Bolivian-based magazine Patria Grande. It has been translated by Federico Fuentes.
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Many analysts have rushed to give their opinions regarding the 鈥渃risis of the MAS鈥 and its consequences.
Yet, the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS 鈥 the party of President Evo Morales) has always been in crisis 鈥 if by crisis we mean internal disputes for power and the existence of personal interests.
Despite this permanent 鈥渃risis鈥, the MAS was able to cohere the majority of plebeian sectors through a kind of corporative alliance.
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