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Bolivia coca farmers back Morales in recall
Bolivia's President Evo Morales (L) greets Senator and coca grower Leonilda Zurita upon his arrival to Villa Tunari in the Chapare region, some 600 km (373 miles) southeast of La Paz, August 9, 2008. Morales is expected to survive a recall vote next Sunday but a political crisis in South America's poorest country may intensify as right-wing opponents try to block his socialist reforms.
Credit: Reuters/Danilo Balderrama
VILLA 14 DE SEPTIEMBRE, Bolivia |
VILLA 14 DE SEPTIEMBRE, Bolivia (Reuters) - Coca farmers in the verdant Chapare region, where Bolivian President Evo Morales rose to prominence as a fiery union leader, are confident he will win a recall vote on Sunday.
Morales and eight of the country's nine regional governors, some of whom are feuding with him over their demand for more autonomy for their regions, will have to step down if they lose.
Polls indicate Morales, the country's first indigenous president and a former coca farmer, will survive the vote. But analysts say the political crisis gripping the impoverished country will continue whatever the outcome.
"We're all proud because this is his home turf, where he learned about politics and trade unions, and thanks to his struggle there have been important changes," said farmer Edgar Torres.
Most people in Chapare, which lies in the central Cochabamba region, as well as in western, Andean provinces are likely to vote for Morales to stay.
"I'm going to vote for Evo because he's always going to support us," said Fortuna Fernandez, 58, near the polling station where Morales is set to cast his ballot.
But in opposition-controlled eastern regions, many people are disenchanted with his leftist reforms and say he is only governing for his indigenous power base.
Since taking office in 2006, Morales has sought to raise state revenue from the country's natural resources, particularly natural gas, and distribute some of the extra profits among the poor.
He remains head of Bolivia's largest coca growers' union and has a "zero cocaine, but not zero coca" policy on drugs in the world's No. 3 cocaine producer. That involves fighting the drug trade but promoting legal coca uses, such as tea.
Tens of thousands of coca farmers are each allowed to cultivate an area the size of a third of a soccer field.
The United States says the policy has led to an increase in coca cultivation. But locals praise it because it has meant the end of forced eradication, which often led to clashes with the security forces.
"There was death before in Chapare and now we have peace," said Torres. "The coca leaf (pays for) our studies, our clothes ... our health."
(Writing by Eduardo Garcia; Editing by Xavier Briand)
