This last weekend, Bolivia's democratically elected president - Evo Morales - resigned from his position, effectively removing his governing Movimiento Al Socialismo (Movement for Socialism) from occupying political power in Bolivia. Make no mistake about it. This was an illegal coup against a democratically elected government. In 2018, Morales won reelection by 600,000 votes, crushing the so-called opposition. International election observers from all over the world oversaw that election and reported fairness and no issues with everyone who desired being able to vote. And, its obvious why Morales was so widely loved by the Bolivian people. Since the rise of his party to power, education, healthcare, and other essential services necessary to facilitate opportunities for people to reach their full potential had reached unprecedented levels. The increased attention on the Indigenous people of Bolivia, of which Morales is a apparently a member, has elevated that maligned population in every measurable way since Morales was elected. Of course, none of these things are impressive to the bourgeoisie elite that the opposition against Morales represents. And, these scum have a long history in Bolivia. Like all of South America, and pretty much the entire planet, the division between the haves and have nots has been an ongoing class struggle in Bolivia for decades. It was 52 years ago when Ernesto "Che" Guevara died in rural Bolivia helping lead a guerrilla fighting regiment against the corrupt Barrientos regime. That regime was a bed partner to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Bolivia has remained bedfellows with U.S. imperialism to this very day. Despite the tearful announcement of the transfer of power to the opposition presented by Bolivian Senate Vice President Jeannie Anez, that opposition in Bolivia has been opposed to Morales since day one because of the priority on social policies Morale's regime prioritized. The denial of the lithium trade deal with the U.S. and other multi-national corporation led countries probably helped spell the death note for Morales government. Lithium is the rare earth mineral utilized to make car batteries. Auto manufacturers like Tesla, Toyota, etc., were depending upon that Lithium deal with Bolivia to supply their lithium needs for decades to come. Bolivia is also a very oil rich country which is very attractive to these roaches as well. In denying the lithium deal, Morales spoke to the need for the Bolivian people, and all oppressed humanity, to exercise self determination in managing their natural resources, meaning don't sell them out the the multi-national corporations that care only about exploiting them for profit purposes. The Uyuni region of Bolivia is said by lithium industry analysts to hold up to 70% of the world's lithium reserves, so for those corporate thugs, there was no other alternative to their interests other than regime change.
We previously mentioned the CIA's connection to Bolivia because the events of the last several days suggest a heavy U.S. hand in applying the necessary pressure on Bolivia's institutions to squeeze out the Morales government. This would certainly explain the strange call from the Organization of American States (OAS) to revisit the results of the 2018 election, despite a clean bill of health given to those results, as previously stated. We all know the Organization of American States is often a mouthpiece for U.S. imperialism so this request from the OAS shouldn't surprise anyone. Also, many of the military officials in South America were trained at the CIA's "School of the Americas" a U.S. military propaganda institution designed to ensure loyalty to U.S. imperialist interests in the Americas. With the CIA's history in Bolivia its highly conceivable that the CIA and other high level U.S. power sources were instrumental in pressuring the Bolivian military to call for Morale's resignation. Since those same military forces were engaged in systemic terror against supporters of the Morales government, his decision to step down, as he stated, was an effort at curbing the violence and protecting the Bolivian people.
So, on the surface, it appears that imperialism has won again. And, to the supporters and apologists for imperialism, these events are justified, but a closer look clearly demonstrates a different narrative is required. The difference today as opposed to 50+ years ago is most people, even so-called social justice activists, were inclined to accept imperialism's version of history once the guerrilla uprising led by Che was crushed in Bolivia in 1967. Today, you would have to be hiding under a rock for your entire life to be fooled by the amateurish effort to paint the Morales government as a brutal dictatorship. Imperialism told us the same thing about Muammar Qaddafi and the Libyan Jamihiriya in 2011, but information today is widespread about the great work Libya had done to bring stability and progress to all of Africa and that it was those efforts that led imperialism to murder Qaddafi and destabilize Libya. Imperialism has been telling us the same lies about dictatorships about Cuba and Venezuela for decades, but many activists and even just curious onlookers have been able to travel to Cuba and Venezuela and even with many of these people, who are not necessarily engaged or aware of the political histories, the narrative that these are oppressive regimes dictated by vicious individuals is impossible to believe based on the empirical evidence these visitors have experienced in those countries. The failed effort by elites in Venezuela to illegally overthrow that government is an example of that. The populations are clearly vibrant, informed, and dedicated to the socialist direction of their countries. And, the same is true about Bolivia. The only exceptions to this are the aristocratic elites who have money and only want more of it, regardless of the toll it takes on the masses of people. Many of these shoe scum are in the U.S. today, ready to tell you at the drop of a hat that they are "Bolivian Americans" and that Morales is bad. Pay notice to the fact these liars can give you no analytical truths about unjust life in Bolivia for the masses of people. All they can rely on is the fact that they walked the pavement in Bolivia as their credentials of legitimacy. Of course, if you countered by telling them about white supremacy and how the U.S. is nothing except a cesspool of racism, those same people would instinctively disagree with you, despite the fact you have lived here all of your life. So, excuse us if we dismiss their geographical origin as evidence that they have the slightest clue what they are talking about as it relates to Bolivia. We need more critical information and many of us are dedicated enough to study to understand that information. Plus, our connections to international struggles for justice and peace bring us in regular contact with multitudes of people and sources who have valuable information about what's really going on. That should serve to discredit those opportunists as well as the usual and tired voices from those on the white left in the U.S. and Europe who continue to be silent partners with imperialism whenever something like this happens. These people are so quick to point to any errors governments like Morales have made, and there are many. We are active organizers so we understand errors because we make them everyday. In fact, as Sekou Ture told us, "the only people who don't make errors are people who do nothing!" Our on the ground experience also helps us understand that the errors are unavoidable since imperialism, colonialism, and neo-colonialism give 0 space for us to build without sabotage and urgency of results. All of this is a formula for errors, but instead of recognizing this universal principle, the white left does what it does best, pass judgment with nothing to offer the colonized struggling masses besides white skin expertise and a big useless mouth (that most of us stopped paying any attention to besides pointing it out to those like us long ago).
Lastly, from a revolutionary Pan-Africanist perspective, we support Bolivia and the Movement for Socialism, but we suggest that the reasons why these immoral coups are as successful in Bolivia and almost in Venezuela, but not nearly as effective in Cuba is because of the lack of a revolutionary process e.g. a national liberation struggle as that which took place in Cuba. The concept that socialism can grow and develop from the structures of capitalism is not possible since capitalism is based on exploiting the exploited. We don't believe socialism can effectively happen in negotiation with capitalism. Socialism has to mean capitalism being defeated; politically, socially, educationally, morally, and yes - militarily. As we are witnessing in Bolivia, imperialism won't relinquish power just because they should. It has to be taken from them in a way where they cannot get it back. That means a national liberation effort where people develop a clearly defined and politically educated understanding of the enemy so that they see their very survival as linked to eradicating the exploiting classes. This is what the bourgeoisie are most afraid of and its that fear that makes them recognize that this growth would have happened in Bolivia, and still will, but they are of course going to do everything in their power to keep this from happening. In our view, recent developments are just the latest in a battle that brings us closer to the revolutionary process we speak of. A process that millions of people on Earth will ready and willing to bring about.