Here, "the revolution" is anything but a party. Dancing hippies, drum circles and four-story high puppets are notably absent from the recent mass mobilizations that have rocked Bolivia for the past two weeks. There are no breaks for concerts, no hemp clothing for sale. You are not an individual, but a part of your contingent, and from them you do not stray. In stark contrast to the large-scale demonstrations in the US that have characterized the burgeoning anti-globalization movement, marches here in Bolivia are supreme examples of discipline and seriousness. Rigidity replaces fluidity; unity replaces individualism; rash actions are rare. The marchers have anger and determination in their hearts but reign that in for the sake of the long-term struggle. Their intensity is in their expressions, chants and willpower - not in violent behavior. Sure, some bring their whips, dynamite is abundant, and I saw one man yesterday wielding a cactus. But most of the time these are symbols of strength, rather than weapons for destruction.
It is this type of controlled persistence that enables me to write to you again today about the complete takeover of La Paz by campesinos, miners, workers and students. It was another day with over 100,000 people on the streets, demonstrating a solidarity and discipline that amazes me daily...and that deserves to be recognized because without such controlled heart, the streets of La Paz would have already been stained with blood.
More specifically, today felt like an extension of yesterday. Similar late-morning scene of massive marches in San Francisco, but with the addition of thousands of miners and Altiplano campesinos. Similar chants, but "Carlos Mesa" was replaced by "Hormando Vaca Diez," the President of Senate and next in line to be President. Similar police response, but an increased intolerance that brought on more gas, dispersed at a wider radius, for longer into the day. And, my brother Noah, shooting photographs from the Plaza Murillo, saw truck loads of military men readying for deployment into the city streets.
Our panorama remains the same: the slow asphyxiation of La Paz, over 60 points of blockades with virtually all of Bolivia's major cities shut down as well as road access to neighboring Chile and Peru, tens of thousands marching in Cochabamba, indigenous insurrection in Santa Cruz, as El Alto and the Altiplano continue to prove to be the heart of the entire operation with their continuing strikes and blockages.
In the political sphere, the country's future came into only slightly better focus, as the reactions of the parties trickled down through the crowds and the airwaves. It seems that there is enough Congressional support for the approval of Mesa's resignation, yet it is still uncertain when Congress will convene. After that, two plausible options have surfaced. Third in line for power, President of the Supreme Court Eduardo Rodriguez has affirmed that he will call for new elections (protester demand) immediately should he ascend to power. But whether he has that chance is uncertain. Though earlier in the day, it seemed as if Vaca Diez would step down as, this evening brings word of a rightist allliance that is convincing Vaca Diez to remain in power and do their bidding.
In total, today cearly showed that Mesa's head on the chopping block, though somewhat satisfying, does nothing to appease protesters' demands. What still hangs in the balance is the social movements' reactions to the political games, specifically concerning our two base demands of nationalization and the Constitutional Assembly...I'm tempted to give you my perspective of the in's and out's of each possible scenario, but I'm really fucking tired. For now, I'm going to let it unfold and offer insight as the cards are played...
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A Tale of Two (Kinds of) Movements
Submitted June 8, 2005 - 12:20 am by Al GiordanoYesterday I was trying to explain to our latest scholar this same sensation that you are feeling. It is, I think, the reason I stayed in Latin America after coming here years ago. My belly was full of the self-indulgence of white, middle class, political demonstrations and causes with lefty pretensions in the United States that, although they had worthy goals, became exercises in futility precisely because of the protagonist "look at ME" nature of them.
I found, first in the discipline and seriousness of the Zapatistas, and later in many other social movements (primarily indigenous movements) in Latin America that same sense of purpose and desire to WIN. And I felt more at home than I had in many, many years participating in the movements of my own country. I knew that these were the people I could trust in the same foxhole as me, and I had lost that feeling - through experience - in the United States, where political movements become basically excuses for feel-goodism, self-satisfaction and for acting out personal psychodramas on a public stage while placing a "political" gloss on it.
I no longer can suffer such fools. The other night I was asked to strum my guitar at a friend's going away party. After I performed, an attractive youngster came up and started talking to me, said she was part of an "NGO" that worked to save the environment. I replied that there is a water park planned for a place near here and the neighbors are organized to stop it and they could sure use the help of her NGO. She replied, "Oh no, we don't believe in being controversial or fighting against things. We just want to promote the positive and sacred."
So I mentioned the story of another town, and its battle, by the indigenous population, against a golf club, and how a famous hippie commune in that town shrunk from its duty to join in the defense of the town. I mentioned that these hippies went around claiming to be following "indigenous ways" but when push came to shove and the indigenous neighbors needed their money and their connections, they turned into "culeros" (roughly translated: "cowardly assholes.") She said, "oh I was part of that commune back then, and it's not true that we didn't participate."
"Oh, really?" I said. "What did you do?"
"We held drum circles and prayed to the Earth Mother."
I stood up, disgusted with this kind of indulgent form of "activism," said, "best of luck to you" with a sneer and walked away. I just have no time for such people anymore.
So, welcome aboard, Jean, with extra enthusiasm. You're a great reporter, a brilliant writer, and you've let me relive some of my early days in Latin America by reading your reports in recent days. Welcome to the team. Stick around. We need a lot more like you!