MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

South America full support for Morales; advisory committee

Neighbours back Bolivian leader at the UNASUR emergency summit

South American leaders ratified their full support for the constitutional government of Bolivia and elected President Evo Morales following an emergency meeting Monday in Santiago de Chile.

Bolivia is facing a serious political crisis which threatens to dismember the country as the richest provinces fight for autonomy and a greater share of natural gas royalties reacting to President Morales plans to distribute land and windfall earnings among peasants and the indigenous population. The meeting convened by Chilean president Michelle Bachelet lasted over five hours and was held in Government House, Palacio de la Moneda, in the framework of UNASUR, the Union of South American Nations. With the exception of Peru that sent its Foreign Affairs ministers, the rest of the continent's elected leaders, including Bolivia's Morales participated. The Palacio de la Moneda Declaration calls on all "political and social actors" to take the necessary measures to cease violence and strongly condemns the peasants' massacre in the Bolivian region of Pando. Another point calls for the preservation of "national unity" and "territorial integrity" and condemns any attempts to erode such principles. Any solution must respect the rule of law. Finally the presidents of Unasur agree to create a committee open to all its members, coordinated by the pro tempore president (Chile's Bachelet) to accompany and advice when requested the workings of the dialogue table, "conducted by the legitimate government of Bolivia". However the meeting according to Santiago press reports was most "hermetic" and only three media were allowed to the press conference following the announcement and reading of the declaration. But a letter sent by the Bolivian opposition governments requesting to be invited to the Unasur meeting apparently was never replied. The provinces of Tarija, Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz and to a certain extent Chuquisaca are openly and violently dissenting with President Morales plans. The conflict so far has cost the lives of at least thirty people and has caused the disruption of natural gas supply to Brazil and Argentina, the country's main associates and source of income. Over the week end and following strong pressure from Brazil's quiet but effective diplomacy the Bolivian government and a representative from the dissenting provinces governor Mario Cossio held a round of negotiations which brought some relief to the situation. Apparently the Morales administration promised to review his stance regarding autonomies and natural gas earnings sharing.