New Statesman - Bolivia's racial onslaught

Bolivia's racial onslaught
César Navarro
Published 16 June 2008
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Bolivian socialist politician César Navarro - ambushed by a mob in his country's constitutional capital - explains how the right is using racist rhetoric to build an atmosphere of violence

 
In Bolivia racial violence is being encouraged and promoted by regional governments, civic committees and right-wing political organisations.
Evo Morales, who cut his teeth as an indigenous political leader through his campaigns for the coca-leaf growers union in the tropics of Cochabamba, has developed a revolutionary discourse born out of Bolivia’s social movements which is anti-imperialist, anti-colonial and anti-neoliberal.
This consists mainly of the principles of defence of national sovereignty, of natural resources, and of land, equality between men and women and respect for human rights.
This political praxis has formed the basis for public policy. However, these policies are being resisted internally and externally by those who are opposed politically, ideologically and culturally to the revolutionary process that the Bolivian people are living, breathing and building.
The opposition, which operates through civic organisations, regional governments, business groups and the media - meanwhile - has constructed a rhetoric or, if you like, a counter-discourse which turns President Evo Morales’ good qualities into bad ones, accuses him of being an indigenous-fundamentalist, undemocratic, an enemy of private investment; a foe of the middle classes and a defender of centralised government in opposition to regional autonomy.
This discourse, which is being used to paint both the President and the process of political change as a force for ill, has created an atmosphere which is intended to breed conditions for social and racial violence towards Bolivia's indigenous and working classes.
Dramatic manifestations of such social and racial violence, which are tolerated and encouraged by political nuclei of the opposition were seen in the city of Cochabamba in January 2007, in Sucre in September 2007 and May 2008; in Santa Cruz in August and December 2007 and May 2008 and in the regions of Beni and Pando in June 2008. Organised groups planned and carried out violence against indigenous people and peasants, and they publicly expressed their collective discourse through racist phrases such as: “fucking indian”.
Many of us, both men and women, are victims of this violence which is a result of the political mediocrity of the opposition and the racial arrogance of tiny sectors of society; they are part of the process of destabilising our President and the structural transformation that we are living through.
This article is not an attempt to theorise the violence that we are experiencing, but a testimony of what many of us suffer, its purpose is not for us to complain or to present ourselves as martyrs, but to let the world know how the right-wing, displaced from political power by popular mobilisation, defeated at the ballot box by a whole people, now uses overt racism as part of its discourse and action.
Racism is not admissible in the world in the 21st century, but it must be known that it is being promoted in Bolivia by sectors of the population which are economically powerful. These groups, today settled in the region of Santa Cruz, many of them offspring of immigrants from Europe, Asia and the Middle East have appropriated the indigenous identity of Santa Cruz, known as “camba” and this is being used to show racial supremacy over the “colla” and “chapaco” (indigenous people of the West and South of Bolivia).
This means that the historical challenge for Evo and the Bolivian process is not limited to the need to structurally modify the State, the economy and society but also to eliminate internal neo-colonialism once and for all.
The liberation of the people means the reaffirmation of their identity, not a negation of the other but a respect for differences.
César Navarro is an MP of the Bolivian Movement towards Socialism party. He was attacked, along with Senator Carmen Rosa Velásquez, at the airport of the Bolivian city of Sucre. The attack occurred while Navarro was travelling to his constituency in Potosí; he was manhandled by a waiting gang while Senator Velásquez was set upon, the group pushing her about, pulled her hair and hit her. Stones were then thrown at them as they escaped by taxi. Navarro has now decided to avoid passing through Sucre when travelling between his constituency and Bolivia's capital, La Paz.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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16 comments from readers
antileft
16 June 2008 at 11:07
From Hugh O'Shaughnessy (of this magazine):
 
"These people, many of them white or near-white, would then be able to relax happy in the thought that they could virtually sever relations with the majority of Bolivians, the dark indigenous little men in the mountains whom they call the Collas.
Unlike the Collas the Cambas’ leaders each tend to have a few thousand rolling acres and good deal of spare cash. They have impeccably European names such as Branko Marinkovic or Rubén Costas and they think they have friends in the US capital who don’t like Morales."
 
In this article:
 
"the right is using racist rhetoric to build an atmosphere of violence".
 
Is it just the right which is using racist retoric? And if not, why do you phrase it as though it is?
antileft
16 June 2008 at 11:13
By the way, Cesar, I approve of your attempt to give more power and say to the indigenous people. However- doing it with Venezuela-style socialism (instead of Lula-style socialism) is a stupid idea. I hope you either know better, or are too incompetant to pull it off.
James
16 June 2008 at 13:11
Glad to see Frank Fields nonsense has been removed. I can really do without reading that kind of tripe.
Bob
16 June 2008 at 14:46
Mr. Navarro, after reading your article, I can't beleive you have the nerve to go public and write an article like this.
When you say Evo is about anti- colonal, you have just admitted he (and you) are racist. When you talk about people with names like, Branco and Ruben, you are suggesting racism. When you talk about the oligarchy, you are just as racist as the "right wing". More so because your party is in power and trying to take away things from people that have worked hard over the years to get ahead. Many of the people who came to Bolivia years ago, came with nothing and built themselves and their familes a good life. They didn't steal it from you and yours. You and yours are still living in the mountians chewing coca leafs, not working and being resentiful of the people who have worked and are successful. Now you want to come down out of the mountians and take things away from those who have worked. Well, Hello, Those people aren't going to let you do that.
You talk about Evo, still being the president of the coca-growers union. Mr. Navarro, that's not anything to be proud of!! But it does go to show the mentality of the people in M.A.S.
roberto white
16 June 2008 at 15:02
So this member of a party which locked out the ones they disagreed with to railroad through an illegal and yet to actually be written constitution, supporting a president who can only see Bolivia as one race, not the many it really is, who maintains private militias to do his dirty work, who draws the racial divide everytime he cannot have his way, is saying others are racist? MAS is a joke. It represents racism and oppression in more extreme ways than ever before. The trouble in CCBA last year was caused by Evo sending in his cocaleros to start violence, killing an innocent teenager, starting fires. Reading this article it is obvious that this MP still cannot grasp that there are people in Bolivia who do not want MAS style socialism and racism, corruption and nespotism. And it is not some mythical group of white men. Look at the picture. There are many indegious people who do not buy into the self serving power grab these blinded peons of chavez are selling. The president, in order not to be a "fucking indian" needs to realize he is to represent a country of many peoples, not just one ethnic group.
diego
16 June 2008 at 16:33
The real problem here is that the government should not be and should never have been in La Paz. If MAS wants the government there then they should make a referendum to have it made the legal capital. Until that happens MAS will see it's majority eroded until they become an Aymara only party like CONDEPA was.
Viscount Firm
16 June 2008 at 17:09
I wanted to be a nepotist but my father wouldn't sponsor me, curse him.
karloff
16 June 2008 at 17:32
President Morales can hardly go a speech without racist rhetoric. The opposition is hardly all white or even close to majority. These autonomy referendums have won by large margins even with the presidents supporters burning some ballot boxes and using intimidation. Morales is a cocalero representative, who over the last few years was inculcated with racist ideas by foreigners. He only speaks spanish.
 
This is an ethnic conflict between those who are pushing an "indigenous" revival and those who live a western life.
Obama08
16 June 2008 at 20:38
Hey bob, Mr. Navarro has every right and nerve to go public whith anything he says, even if he started talking about you mother. Freedom of expression you idiot.
If Evo is anti-colonial, it doesn't mean he is racist? It means he is anti-colonial. Was John Handcock racist when he was anti-British? Was Ghandi racist when he resisted the British?
You say that Branco and Ruben's families came to Bolivia with nothing? Wrong! They came with their light skin color and their racist attitudes.
The fact that indians in Bolivia did not gain rights until 1952, and were looked upon as sub-human until well after 1970s, allowed light skinned foreigners to own land, do business, and mix in with the white elite.
You say that Evo is trying to take away from people who worked hard to get ahead? Who??? Do you mean Branco? Do you mean Ronald Larsen? Who are you talking about?
These people did not pay full face value for these lands, they staked it out like it was Oklahoma with a mix of regional and national political favors. Alot of these so called hard workers stole from the central bank (while being in office) to sponsor their businesses and land expansion.
By stealing from the government, they did steal from Mr. Navarro and his people. Now you say that people in the lower region (Santa Cruz) are better off because they work harder?
Wrong again bobby! They are better off because Hugo Banzer put Bolivia in debt and used all the $5 billion debt to develop certain parts of Santa Cruz. The people from the highlands did not oppose, they did not take any racist actions against the backward cambas of those days.
But now that the motherland allowed them to develop by sacrificing the rest of the country, Santa Cruz does not want to pay back for the privilige they were given.
 
Hey roberto white...MAS is a joke? Tell that to Manuel Rocha and David Greenlee. MAS is such a joke that Bush had to send a war-time consigliere (Philip Goldberg) to Bolivia to help out Santa Cruz and other traitors sell themselves for their own racist agenda.
Philip Goldberg earned his divide and conquer credentials in Bosnia and Kosovo. As you all know, Kosovo recently separated itself from Serbia. This is what Branco Marinkovic wants for Santa Cruz as well.
How do you know that this teenage punk was innocent? You say that there are many of indian and mestizo Bolivians that don't want a ruler like Evo? That is true, but look at the majority roberto.
In any democracy MAJORITY RULES!!! Is not 2/3 vote, its MAJORITY RULES! Or are you a Bush cronie? Where only elite Supreme Court majority rules and not the popular vote?
However you want to spin this, here are some facts you should know:
Fact: According to the CIA Worldfactbook, Bolivia is 30% Quechua, 25% Aymara, 30% mestizo, and only 15% white. This means that 75% of Bolivians have at least 10% to 100% indian blood.
Fact: From 1825 to 1952, Bolivia's indian population did not have any rights, but did fight and die for their country.
Fact: From 1825 to 2005 Bolivian presidents did not rule for all Bolivias. They ruled for their families, their elite friends, and foreign interests.
Fact: Only about 100 families in Bolivia own all the private land in Bolivia, 25 million hectares.
Fact: These same 100 families control the weakened political parties, agriculture commerce, banks, of course the media, and now the prefects of 5 departments.
Fact: These same families control the prideless and spineless cambas who like to sell themselves to anyone who is not of indian blood, except maybe the Jindhal family.
Fact: Most prostitues in Bolivia hail from the camba regions....I guess this rubbs off to the rest of their population as well huh?...
Before you call any indegenous racist, admit that you are a racist first. Its only fair. These people had to hold it in for 500 years...you shouldn't....Obama! Obama!
Ian Crause
16 June 2008 at 21:08
I saw Morales speak a few times in Santa Cruz.He never used racist language when I saw him, although he is quite a boring speaker, unlike Garcia Linera, the VP, who can be electric when the mood takes him.
Garcia Linera - a white, upper class Cochabambino - has said on many occasions that the opposition is motivated fundamentally by racism.I myself was told by many Crucenos that Evo's government would not be allowed to govern as they were pieces of indian shit, sometimes by my own in-laws and many times within a few of weeks of them taking office, i.e. before they had a chance even to do anything.
Morales is extremely hostile, indeed possibly racist, about the white camba rich, but I don't think that racism stems from sitting around on his arse and chewing coca while the 4x4 driving, ostentatiously wealthy middle class and their often foreign educated children ground themselves into the ground with hard work.Not the ones I met.They work, sure, but certainly not as hard as the average Londoner or probably even New Yorker.I think the foreigners who are more responsible for his hostility to the S.C. right would - and this is just a guess - be white, right wing types like Klaus Barbi who had him beaten until he was left for dead and thrown in some bushes in 1981 for being a left winger.That would certainly piss me off.
Also, howdo you explain the fact that he doesn't appear to be the least racist about leading white and camba members of his own party such as Chato Peredo - a white camba doctor now on SC city council who had fought with Che Guevara in the 60s or, frankly,anyone except the kind of upper class people who call him 'indio'.So he may be a lefty but he's still a white lefty.
The litany of outrage against this evil man is built on events such as the public appearance where he referred to a group of well-to-do female hunger strikers who held a protest against him in the name of democracy, saying they needed tocontinue as they 'still looked fat'.
They went ballistic but it was funny.This was the same month that one of the male hunger strikers was caught on camera phone ordering in Burger King late at night.Nothing tells you more about the camba than that story,I tell you, despite what they'd want you to believe.I mean, Morales is someone who grew up knowing, intermittently, what it was like to go hungry through no choice of his own.A lot of these people have outdoor barbeque areas.It's pretty obscene when you think about it.
So the stuff about Morales being a hardened racist with an extremist agenda is more or less a straight case of transferral from on the part of those who have always acted this way and are now losing their grip on what they'd always been ableto treat as a helot territory.
The fact a lot of otherwise reasonable Crucenos swallow this stuff whole is testament to the dark talents of some of those undoubtedly helping parts of the Bolivian news media at the moment.
As for that comment about Morales starting the trouble in Cochabamba, the troublebegan brewing when the right wing Governor called an identical referendum to one that had been rejected by 75% of the electorate just the year before.It was a spit in their face and they were right to be livid.
Oh, and one person died on each side.Which, although it has no bearing on the justification for the violence, you still neglected to mention.
And Karloff, the opposition is overwhelmingly white/pale mixed race.I don't know planet you're living on.
However, even if they were not they would still be morally in the wrong for supporting such a historically corrupt and unfair political infrastructure against the force of egalitarianism, which is what the MAS represent.
Did you know Chile was a fascist dictatorship?
I know a lot of camba who didn't.
Ian Crause
16 June 2008 at 21:12
Obama08, I just want to preempt any camba offended by your saying they lack pride.
Pride is the one thing they do not want for.
It is often shame they lack, unfortunately.Not pride.
Bob
16 June 2008 at 21:13
Obamba08, you sound like an angry young man. I know your young because only a young man would state things as fact, without checking them-- the other possibilty is you are a fool, I'm giving you the benifit of the doubt.
FACT: Branko and Ruben did not cometo Bolivia. They both were born in Bolivia. They are Bolivians. They are both natives of Bolivia.
Fact: The Marinkovic family (up til now) has never been in politics. They did not get any land from the government. They bought it from the various owners, some of which were Indians. They built a school in the town near were their land is with their own money.
Fact: It's not the camba's trying to move up to the mountains, it's the Indians trying to move down to Santa Cruz and taking away from others.
Anti-colonial is code for white. You my young(?) friend are a racist!
Bob
16 June 2008 at 21:40
Obama08, I forgot to correct you on one other point. I didn't say Mr. Navarro didn't have the right to say what he said. All I said was I couldn't beleive he had the nerve to say what he said. Of course Mr. Navarro has every right to advertise his ignorance.
James
18 June 2008 at 16:12
Whilst I agree that land reform in Bolivia is essential to develop a healthy social democracy (my opinion) I really don't think the NS should ever be a platform for politicians- they use too much emotive rhetoric. All this article has done is give rise to a flood ill defined irrational arguements about semantics. Oh and back handed insults as usual antileft.
corky-the-cat
18 June 2008 at 23:38
Errr...Bob, I hate to tell you this but until the Spanish arrived, the whole bloody country belonged to the 'indians'.
 
If the white elites are running the country for the benefit of the white elite, as opposed to the general welfare of the non-white majority...that is still colonialist. It just happens that the colonists declared independence from the mother-country. Apartheid South Africa and white Rhodesia in Africa, were similar in this respect.
 
Morales can only be called a racist IF his comments and actions are aimed at the white minority because they are white and for no other reason.
F. Gamio
19 June 2008 at 00:06
What a nice coincidence that in this week's issue of your magazine you have articles about Zimbabwe and Bolivia. Kindly read this:-
1.- He came to power with more than fifty percent of the electorate's vote.
2.- Great hopes were placed on him as he was seen as a representative of a long-oppresed people.
3.- Favourable international opinion was on his side as remorse-bitten former colonial powers saw a chance to erase a black spot in their histories. In some cases by default.
4.- Accepted even by his opponents, he was seen as a positive sign of change in a society in dire need of better conditions and opportunities for its people.
5.- Obviously with everybody (cronies on first line) and eveything at his feet, his prejudiced and ill-formed mind began to think that he was God's gift to mankind and started on a series of far-fetched, vengeful and impractical social projects.
6.- To begin with, he decided to distribute the country's agricultural areas to his hungry hordes. By doing that, he disrupted the productive process which resulted, after some events, in galloping inflation which , in turn , opened Pandora's box.
7.- He decided to confront, head-on, the lighter skinned, white, productive and educated middle classes. The race issue, always latent underneath and surely a black mark on the country's history, became explosive with open strife.
8.- He intends to, or has already, nationalised key industries, by itself not a bad measure because multinational companies, the world over, hoard other countries wealth. But instead of finding a positive middle way between capital and social issues, he decided on the social issue alone. In this case employment for his party's members. Result: bloated payrolls and rampant inefficiency.
9.- Following the old political maxim"take care of your warriors", he decided upon a plan to revitalize the police and armed forces. By "revitalize" he meant of course to put them on his side and use all their facilities and prerogatives to further his political goals. At a price of course: generous endowments to the top brass.
10.- As any self-respecting dictatorship must do, he embarked on some terror tactics against his opponents. He shot a few and kidnapped some. Unfortunately for him, however, the judicial system proved to have, on some instances, that scarce commodity: justice.
11.- Clearly, he couldn't forget the use of propaganda in his government. He converted the state radio and television network into a loyal servant proclaiming lies, half lies, half truths and total untruths.
In short, he led his country into total chaos.
Now, dear reader, who are we talking about ?.
Evo Morales or Rober Mugabe ?
Answer: both