I’m a political science professor who posts regularly on Bolivian politics. I also occasionally discuss interesting books, pop culture, and daily life with a toddler. I’ve recently moved to Oxford, Mississippi.
Over the weekend, a crowd of MAS supporters attacked the home of Bolivia’s former vice president & indigenous leader, Víctor Hugo Cárdenas. Cárdenas, then leader of MRTK, was vice president under Goni (1993-1997). At the time, MRTKL was the largest of the katarista parties—though it never won more than 2-3% of the national vote in any given election. Still, Cárdenas is often credited w/ putting Goni’s campaign “over the top,” as well as for initiating a new “multicultural” period of Bolivian politics.
The dispute was over Cárdenas’s country home in Huatajuata, a small rural town near the capital of La Paz. The crowd intended to seize the house (to turn into a community retirement home); in the process they physically assaulted Cárdenas’s wife (Lidia Katari) & son (Iru Cárdenas). Lidia Katari was once the flamboyant second-lady who continued to dress “de pollera” (in ethnic Aymara garb) while executing her public functions, as well as giving her speeches in Aymara.
Nosotros no tenemos la culpa de que el 70% de la población boliviana haya votado por el MAS y que, por supuesto, en todos los rincones de nuestro país hay una importante y mayoritaria población de gente que se identifica con el MAS; ahora, que en determinados lugares de esa población, que se identifica con el MAS, se tenga conflictos y problemas.
A number of comments on Farfán’s response. First, the new constitution was only approved by 61.4% of the national vote, not the 70% Farfán claimed (nor are MAS supporters a majority in “every corner” of the country; MAS supporter are a minority in substantial sectors of the Media Luna). Still, it passed, and in a free, fair, and competitive vote.
But the more troubling problem here is that Farfán—as a government spokesperson—suggested that there was nothing odd that those who opposed MAS (Cárdenas had publicly campaigned for a “No” vote on the new constitution)1 might find themselves in such situations. He then went on to attack Cárdenas for “irresponsibly” alleging that MAS (or the government) had orchestrated and/or facilitated the attack. Farfán also dismissed the injuries to Cárdenas’s wife & son as minor & “in no way serious.”
I’m skeptical of Cárdenas’s claim that the government orchestrated the attack. And, to be fair, police forces have since been sent to dislodge the protestors from the house, and an official investigation is going forward.
But then again today, the current vice president, Alvaro García Linera, justified the community’s attack on Cárdenas’s home. He chastised Cárdenas, asking him what “harm” he must have done to his neighbors to have motivated them to respond so forcefully. He then went on to attack Cárdenas as the true aggressor, who victimizes his own people. (The bitter irony of a white, criollo intellectual like AGL attacking an established indigenous leader as a “traitor” to his indigenous community is too rich to require much comment.)
The real issue, of course, involves the erosion of a democratic rule of law. Critics of Evo’s government have long accused MAS of using force & intimidation to seek to silence critics. The new Cárdenas incident only reinforces those claims. How can the government justify a mob attack on a private citizen because he expressed an unpopular political view? Isn’t a democratic state explicitly required to protect such citizens? Where are the calls for democratic tolerance?
The Cárdenas case is interesting because, unlike a number of other previous cases, there’s no question about Cárdenas’s valid credentials as an indigenous social movement leader. Anachronistic, perhaps. But the “pluriethnic-multicultural” (what many Bolivian intellectuals refer to as “lo pluri-multi”) project Cárdenas helped spearhead was extremely progressive. It sought to validate & incorporate indigenous communities into the state. It was one of the underpinnings for the Ley de Participación Popular, which decentralized the country at the municipal level (including creating a number of “indigenous” municipalities). Over time, MRTKL was surpassed by more “radical” indigenous movements, such as Felipe Quispe’s MIP (who is also an Evo opponent, btw). Attempting to paint Cárdenas as a sellout is akin to painting Martin Luther King, Jr. w/ that brush.
While a number of Evo’s opponents in the Media Luna have used mass mobilizations (and worse) to intimidate their opponents as well, Cárdenas has (to my knowledge) never engaged in such acts. There is hardly any justification for an attack on his country house, or stoning his wife & son as they attempt to flee the residence. And for a sitting vice president to imply that Cárdenas public statements against the proposed constitution constitutes “harm” that justifies such an attack is chilling.
----- 1 Cárdenas was one of a number of high profile indigenous leaders who campaigned for a “No” vote on the new constitution. See previous post: New Fissures in Bolivian Politics (January 11, 2009).
I'm hoping the world press will take note of this and land in droves to cover a potentially tragic situation involving of a former (and real indigenous) Bolivian dignatary.
The comments of Garcia Linera blaming Cardenas are astounding. It's akin to a KKK leader blaming blacks for being lynched. One would think that Morales would be supportive of an aymara like Cardenas only because he always talks about indian rights.
By the way, Morales isn't 100% indian, right?
Posted by
Anonymous
March 10, 2009 9:37 AM
I'm not sure the KKK analogy fits that well. I'd say it's more like a white, wealthy Manhattanite suggesting that Condi isn't really black enough.
I'm also reluctant to say whether Evo is or isn't "indigenous" (or some percent). Is anyone 100% anything? Besides, ethnicity is a social construct, not a biological fact.
But I certainly agree that this recent incident is very troubling. I do hope more international attention begins to look at the new kind of para-institutional mobilization that's become too common in Bolivia (on both sides).
Cárdenas’s statement brings back memories of Luis Arce Gomez saying that Bolivians should be walk with their last will and testament under their arm. Really sad state of affairs, sadder still is the comments that this incidents has generated among the core of MAS supporters.
The view of he as a race traitor deserves it dominates. They not only forget his track records (just like cardenal terrazas, who now appears was a Banzer operative during the dictadura) but also add insult to injury by saying that he (not his father) changed his name, and that he's got a house in Miami to go with his mansion in the zona sur. BTW his house in bella vista cannot hold a candle to Pepelucho's abode there.
As troubling as this incident was, it is only another round. Civicos did their own violence last year, in tarija we had the kneeling incident, and so on and so forth.
I'm really starting to worry about Bolivia. Sure, chaos and revolution have always being the norm, but never before we had racial hatred play such key role, at least not in my lifetime.
Posted by
chasqui
March 10, 2009 11:09 AM
@mcentellas: I find it hard to believe that Morales didn't approve this attack. Considering how vertically hierarchical Aymara society is, I find it hard to believe that MAS leadership was not at least aware of what was going to happen to a national figure.
Why would you think that MAS would be opposed to using such tactics? If they express such disregard for the democratic rule of law in public, wouldn't you expect their actions in private to be even more anti-democratic? My grandmother once advised me to never buy from a dirty market; imagine what its like behind the counter where you can't see.
@DV: I'd be very cautions about statements about whether "Aymara society" is or isn't "hierarchical" in orientation. I think that's more than a bit reductionist. I'm skeptical of claims that Evo personally knew about and/or planned the attack. That's a bit to conspiratorial to be plausible (though it's certainly possible). But clearly Evo (and some of his opponents) has fostered a climate of intolerance and illiberalism.
Especially considering the recent expulsion of another member of the U.S. Embassy for being "in communication with opposition groups."
Posted by
K8
March 10, 2009 12:42 PM
Certainly nobody knows if anybody is 100% of a race or ethnicity, but that's what Morales campaigned on and continues to campaign on throughout the world: that he's the first indigenous president and represents an oppressed people. I read he can't even speak quechua or aymara. Cardenas can. Who's the real authentic "indian?"
Posted by
Anonymous
March 10, 2009 2:24 PM
Who's the real authentic "indian?"
Ya ah teh!
We have the same problem here on the Navajo Reservation in the USA. It is estimated that only about 50% of the Navajo are native speakers. So who is really Navajo? The courts say that if you have a census number, you are Navajo. Although the largest tribe in the US, the Navajo population is estimated to be about 200,000+. So there are only about 100,000+ speakers. Most claim their heritage whether they can speak the language or not.
Buffy, de Cottonwood Day School (BIA)
Posted by
William Goodrich
March 11, 2009 11:18 PM
I find it highly surprising that most of the hullabaloo about the Cardenas case in the end concentrates on percentages of 'aymara-ness' and other symptoms. But symptoms. The real issue at stake is this; under 'justicia communitaria', also referred to as indigenous or traditional justice systems, the trias politica collapses. Think through the consequences of a system where the legislative, executive and judicial powers are concentrated in the hands of one man (or small group of men, but always men, never women). I have seen this at work in rural Africa for 11 years, now see it at work in the small Altiplano village where I live here in Bolivia. More than worrisome. Frightening.
Posted by
Anonymous
March 12, 2009 1:42 PM
About Farfan’s comments: he didn’t mention the new constitution, he was referring to the presidential referendum where Evo Morales got 67 percent approval. In La Paz the support is much higher. Huatajata is near Titicaca Lake, faraway from the Amazon Rainforest. This area is famous for being Aymara.
The Aymara communities are one of the few communitites that survived with a code of conduct, they support one another and work together. Cardenas used his community for his political career, it is evident now, and for many years the community was divided. However with the changes happening in Bolivia, Victor Hugo Cardenas betrayal has become apparent, as he thinks that this is Bolivia 1990 back when he got elected.
But Aymaras are part of the revolutionary changes happening in Bolivia and Cardenas has yet figure out that people are aware of his true colours. It is not a matter of ethnicity as he is Aymara, but this fact has not stopped him from standing against progressive change.
I’m really surprised that this punishment is happening now and not earlier. The Aymara community have suffered great hardship, and their strengths have been their unity, loyalty and humility. Indigenous leaders do not flaunt their wealth unless they are prepared to share. Also, there is a lot of mistrust as they were betrayed many times. Their punishment against betrayal is severe as it is in every other country. But, the psychological pressure they put on the community member and their family is the what it is really tortuous, I have been in community trials and what they often do is ask the accused to say what he thinks should be his punishment.
This statement they use to measure the level of regret, sadness, compromise and redemption that the accussed my feel and usually tells if the accussed is making it up or he is sincere. He will therefore say what his punishment must be and his family are responsible for the execution of his punishment. It tends to be community work and the aims are to return to balance. Cardenas uses his Aymara credentials to speak on behalf of indigenous people and to speak against the changes happening at the moment.
His actions when he was vice-president are considered against the country, his actions now are considered betrayal. He is a traitor living in an Aymara community in a rural area where the poverty is abundant.
Is he stupid? He knew this was bound to happen, people are angry with him and his family. If there is one criticism that Aymara’s have against Evo Morales government is that he is not radical enough. To compare Cardenas with Martin Luther King Jr, is gross. Cardenas can only be comparable to people such as Condoleezza Rice or Colin Powell, as such was his behaviour, ready to prompt a system that was against people, not for the people. The difference however between Cardenas and Rice is that Rice does not rely on the black vote to stay in power and live in the Bronx. Because if that was the case Rice’s flat would have become a community center before you can say ‘what?’
Cardenas cannot rally anybody at this stage, his community loathes him. He has broken all the community codes.
Ama llulla, ama sua, ama kella
Posted by
Ireni Mamani
March 13, 2009 11:40 AM
@Irene: Let me see if I understand correctly. Cardenas can be judged after the fact for having taken decisions that (while celebrated at the time) are now considered "anti-Aymara" by some people (who apparently are empowered to decide what is or isn't "for" or "against" "the people"). And that such judgment can justifiably result in taking his house, physically attacking his wife & son, and banishing him from his own community. Do I understand you correctly?
@centellas: How else do you think that rural communities in the area voted 100% in support of Evo? Community leaders say the consensus is Evo and dissenters are knocked in line. Can you image if Costas said "The consensus is Autonomy" and 100% of Santa Cruz voted Autonomy? Wouldn't that indicate something?
It would be interesting to get a bit more background about the Cardenas case from Irene Mamani. She is (or was untill recently at least) the secratary of 'La Federación Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas de Bolivia Bartolina Sisa' One of the persons now officialy named by Cardenas in his accusation, is Beatriz Quispe, prominant member of the same organization. Irene might enlighten us about how far up in the MAS people were aware that this was going to happen.......
Posted by
Anonymous
March 13, 2009 3:06 PM
Leave it to Miguel to highlight all things potentially negative about MAS and Morales. While posting on the Cardenas incident is certainly justified, I find it ironic that for weeks, despite substantial developments on the autonomy issue, Miguel was silent. But here is an opportunity to raise doubts about the rule of law in Bolivia and attempt to link Morales and MAS to the actions of community. You had to jump at that right. Why have you not written anything about Morales and his new fondness for autonomy, the initally meetings of the autonomy issue, and the complete absence of the opposition from the media luna? Morales agreed to meet with them anywhere, anytime, and discuss anything. The response was a laundry list of demands before any discussions could take place that they knew Morales would not agree to. More and more the opposition in Bolivia looks like the Repuiblicans in the US: no leadership, no proposals, no plans, just opposition and hopes for the failure of the incumbent.
Posted by
Miguel de los Shanqueros
March 13, 2009 5:17 PM
@Shanqueros: Fair enough. Though I've been too busy (teaching, grading, commuting to work, working on conference papers & presentations, and parenting) to cover every bit of news out of Bolivia, whether pro or anti MAS.
I also, frankly, find the ongoing autonomy conflicts (which I have covered in the past, pointing out both the stubbornness of the opposition, the flip flop in the Morales administration, and compromises made by Evo that were included in the newly approved constitution) rather stagnant at this point. Will they meet? Won't they meet? What conditions will be had, by whom, etc. I'll sit that one out for a while, until something is actually decided.
I posted about the rule of law specifically because we had covered it in my democracy/democratization class & so it was on my mind. My students had read O'Donnell's argument about a "democratic rule of law" and why it mattered. And the focus there wasn't on what the government itself does, explicitly, but on how a democratic government should be also assessed on its ability to protect citizens—even (perhaps especially?) unpopular ones—from society's ability to erode their fundamental civil rights.
But here's a list of other stories I've not gotten around to covering:
- the dengue outbreak in Bolivia
- the corruption scandal at YPFB
- the corruption scandals involving other ministers
- the arguments over the number of indigenous seats in the legislature (indigenous groups demand more than Morales will give them)
- the new list of opposition figures whose homes could be up for dispossession
- the accusations of CIA infiltration in MAS ranks (including Morales' former friend/confidant who headed YPFB)
- other issues involving YPFB's contracts w/ international oil & gas companies
Did I miss anything on that list? Perhaps. I might get to some of them later, when I get a chance.
So I apologize for writing a story about something bad that MAS supporters did. Though I was clear that I'm skeptical of claims that Evo Morales himself planned the attack (I called it a conspiracy theory). If you'd like to follow only pro MAS blogs, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. The same holds true if you'd like to follow rabidly anti Evo/MAS blogs.
There are few times I've read something as ignorant as what Irene Mamani wrote. There is no "code of conduct" that is above national law. With that logic, one can justify beatings and lynchings that have occurred throughout the country these past couple of years as "codes of conduct."
Where in the constitution does it say you can violently take over a house and beat women and children just because you don't agree with him/her or he/she is more successful than yourself?
Sounds like plain thuggery to me.
Posted by
Anonymous
March 17, 2009 12:31 PM
Here are some other items that you have not written about:
The successful literacy programs;
The subtantial reduction in economically debilitating strikes and roadblocks since 2005;
The firing of 60 percent of the employees in the immigration bureau to combat corruption;
Land reform, especially the reistribution of Larsen's hacienda to Guaranis
Posted by
Miguel de los Shanqueros
March 19, 2009 4:51 PM
@Shanqueros:
Yep. Not being a commercial newspaper, I've not written about a lot of things going on in Bolivia. You're certainly free to write about such things.
However, I'm not sure all your news is positive. I'm skeptical of unverified government claims that Bolivia now has 100% literacy. I'm also not so sure if there's been a "substantial reduction" in debilitating strikes in Bolivia since 2005. Surely you're aware of the various strikes, protests, and clashes throughout Sucre, Santa Cruz, Pando, Cochabamba, Oruro, and elsewhere. Was firing 60% of immigration officials the most effective way to combat corruption? I'm not so sure (though I'm glad you raised the issue of corruption ... should Evo fire 60% of YPFB employees?). Land reform is much-needed of course, so I won't complain too much about that. Though I'm not particularly knowledgeable about those specific situations.
Still, not all news out of Bolivia is bad. And Evo has done some good things. If you followed my Twitter feed, you'd know that I linked to Evo's op-ed in the NY Times. And you might note that I've not jumped all over the YPFB scandal like others have. You're welcome.
