Bolivia Accuses US of Sparking Protests

Bolivia's government is accusing U.S. officials of meddling in the South American nation's internal affairs and fueling indigenous protests of a proposed highway project.  The Bolivian government approved a 190-mile highway that will cut through the heart of the Isiboro-Secure Indigenous Territory and a wildlife preserve, so a number of indigienous groups are in opposition to the construction.  President Evo Morales claims to support both indigenous rights and the protection of "Mother Earth", but argues that the road is essential for the national integration and modernization of Bolivia.

An influential Bolivian official called Wednesday for the expulsion of the U.S. Agency of International Development, accusing the agency of promoting actions aimed at "destabilizing" the government.

"The expulsion of USAID should be ... an act of sovereignty," said Juan Ramon Quintana, director of a Bolivian government development agency and a former top presidential aide.

His remarks came as hundreds of indigenous protesters trekked toward La Paz, protesting the proposed construction of a highway through a national park where indigenous communities live. Quintana showed documents that he said proved that officials from the agency were behind the movement.

Read it at CNN.

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Bolivian Senate Approves Controversial
Telecom Bill

The Bolivian Congress dominated by the political party of Evo Morales, approved last Thursday night a controversial bill of telecommunications. This bill was criticized by the opposition and the press since it gives the government the permit to listen phone lines, this is a threat to the media such as the radio and television.

The bill gives a 33% of the electromagnetic spectrum to the Estate. According to the critics of the law, Morales would control a 67% of the electromagnetic waves due to his relation with indigenous organizations, this could provoke that the private media lose their licenses.

Meanwhile radio stations associations and journalists criticize the bill since, in their opinion, it assaults the freedom that the Constitution promotes to the independent media and could allow the manipulation of the media. The president of the Bolivian Association of Broadcasters (Asbota) commented to the Bolivian newspaper La Razon (The Reason) “that this is a serious threat to the freedom of speech.” 

Journalist protests for his right to Freedom of Speech

Source: The Ecuador Times

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