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UK Minister under pressure to back Bolivian government
02 October 2008
UK anti-poverty campaigners, the World Development Movement, are intensifying the pressure on Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell to support the threatened democratic government of Evo Morales in Bolivia. The campaigners have set up an online action directed at the minister at www.wdm.org.uk/supportbolivia
Vicky Cann, trade policy officer at the World Development Movement said:
“Bolivia is in an increasingly fragile political situation and it is imperative that strong support is shown for its democratic processes and leaders. Instead, the EU appears to be undermining Bolivia’s position further by pushing for a free trade deal in the Andean region and ignoring Bolivia’s well-founded concerns with this approach.” www.wdm.org.uk/trade
The political situation in Bolivia has been volatile in recent weeks, with media reports of politically-motivated violence and killings in Bolivia by those seeking to undermine the democratically-elected president, Evo Morales.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7622211.stm
South American leaders have now come together and issued a unanimous resolution pledging firm support for Bolivia’s constitutional government and democracy. European leaders have also endorsed this.
Since being elected in 2005, the progressive government of Bolivia – the second poorest country in Latin America - has worked to promote alternatives to the free trade model of development. In its ongoing trade negotiations with Europe, Bolivia has called for an agreement which “overcomes the practice in which multinational business interests are put before the needs of the population and the environment”.
Europe has now insisted that it will only negotiate with those Andean countries that are prepared to advance a ‘free trade’ agenda. The World Development Movement claims that this approach threatens the fight against poverty in the Andean region, whilst weakening Bolivia’s overall position and making regional integration more difficult. http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=13275
Kate Blagojevic
Press officer, World Development Movement
0207 820 4900/4913, 07711 875 345, Email:
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