Bolivia's army declares itself 'socialist'

The commanding general of Bolivia's army has declared the Andean nation's forces "socialist," "anti-capitalist," and "anti-imperialist," positions that were immediately echoed by President Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president.

Gen. Antonio Cueto made the statements Sunday at a ceremony marking the army's 200th anniversary. Cueto said Bolivia's 2009 constitution allows the army to "emerge as a socialist, communitarian institution," according to the EFE news agency (links in Spanish).

"We declare ourselves anti-imperialist because in Bolivia there can exist no external power imposing itself," Cueto said. "We also declare ourselves anti-capitalist because this system is destroying Mother Earth."

Morales, who attended the ceremony using crutches because of recent knee surgery, agreed, saying, "History proves that the army was born with an anti-imperialist position because it's been combating the European empire since 1810." (Link in Spanish.)

Cueto also said Bolivia would never allow a foreign military to establish bases within its territory, making an indirect reference to a stalled plan in Colombia to allow the U.S. armed forces to use bases there. Cueto's words drew criticism and rebuke from former military leaders, reported La Razon, a daily in Bolivia (link in Spanish). One former commander and current opposition senator said the general was taking a partisan position, and therefore was in violation of the Constitution.

The chief of Bolivia's national police, meanwhile, said this week that his agency would remain "apolitical," EFE reported.

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

Photo: President Evo Morales greets military leaders  Nov. 14 in La Paz, Bolivia. Credit: Reuters

Comments

[chupaa]

Hey I dont here any of you socialist anti capitalism imperialist yelling now that Japan is going to help Bolivia mine for lithium....you really think Evo will give all that money to the indiginous hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha I thought you guys were against capitalisms, these lithium deposits and what they will do with them represents everything you idiots are against....capitalism, improvement in life, advancement etc....blah blah blah...wake up, you are no different than you racist views against the rich or whoever is of no indiginous background....the new oligachy is EVO...hahahahahaha

[chupaa]

say bye bolivia...you people keep on thinking that Capitlism is your enemy and its evil....! Evo is driving the country into the ground with his narco buddies just for listening to chavez. If socialism is so evil why are so many people escaping communism/socialist country and going to the evil America there is only one reason and thats OPPORTUNITY for a better life. Explain why most indians of Bolivia fled after evo got into power to Spain and neighboring countries and the US b/c there is no opporutnity in Bolivia unless you want to get into the drug trade. Litium will go to Evos cronies and no one else and to payback Chavez for helping him into tricking the indians to get him into power....chavez cares for noone but himself...narco trafficing has risen since evo got into power, thats why drug violence and killings increased since the almighty evo came into power....so much for you pachmama now, itsbeing destroyed by its own native.....the bolivian indigineous just want to live their way of life , not many want to change their way of life which is living in poor conditions, you will find a many who may want to learn and advance their lives...evo will not improve their conditions under socialism nor communism....good luck y pobre pachamama..... :(

[Ddoggie]

Someone get a chicken and slap both those guys with it-- little tin-horn buffoons

[Phil]

Well, good luck with that, guys. Oh, and the bit about destroying mother earth? China, The former Soviet Union and any other failed socialist paradise you can think of are the biggest toxic pits on the planet. Don't go there for advice...

[JamesD]

When will these third world hell holes look themselves in the mirror and accept responsibility for their screwed up countries, instead of talking about "imperialism", which died out about 60 years ago?

Unfortunately after 2 years of Bolivia style economics under Barry the Kenyan, we are heading for the same outcome.

[OhCrap!]

looks like we have to kill them all now......lithium and declared themselves our enemy......one less brown spec on the map, no tears......

[jacob mayeresky]

its about the money that litihium is worth billions. They want in on that. they are just going to end up trading their capitalist leader oppressors for communist military oppressors. but if it helps the people Its their country. i don't know whats best im not there.

[Malcolm]

Bolivia will soon run out of other peoples money to spend. The rich will do what the rich always do - leave with their money. They will need to sell their lithium to the Great Satan, China, Japan, or the European Union. When they run out of money, THEN they will come to us and say, please we would like you to lease an airbase, a training area. Let's fight against the Narcotraficantes together. I like Evo Morales and wish him well. But if the best he can do is to copy outmoded and discredited modes of 19th century European economic and social thought then he and his country are going down the drain.

[Angel Robles]

I applaude Bolivia, and I am a committed Zapatista! I can't wait for reform like this to take place in Mexico. But where I differ, and take great offense is when people from my native country of Mexico try to compare our suffering to that of the Palestinian people. We are to different struggles, and as I speak Catholics and Christians are being murdered in the Palestinian territories, and Iraq so what do I have in common with these people? Palestinian is a made up nationality with these people actually being ethnic Jordanians that aren't allowed citizenship/ or they're kept in, "Refugee Camps" by their own Arab neighbors in order to try to keep this conflict alive! long live Bolivia, long live Venezuela, long live Mexico, long Live Israel, and long live Freedom! P.S If I missed your country from the Americas it's only because of space! Regards

[Jose R]

ZAPATA VIVE LA LUCHA SIGUE! Mexico is Next! Manuel Lopez Obrador is going to WIn Elections in Mexico Next. Uncle Sam you are being Push Back North and soon People in the United States Would Follow. U.S. People need to Uprise Now!

[Emiliano Zapata]

That's not ridiculous its about time that Bolivia rid itself of imperialistic oppression. Here in America we are given the idea that Socialism is evil and corrupt. Socialism in Latin America is product of imperialism and disproportionate trade agreements that solely benefit the United States. The high standard of living here is product of oppression in the third world. Imperialism is corrupt, neocolonialism is corrupt. Furthermore, the sovereignty held by Iran, Venezuela and Russia that funds Bolivia is the same sovereignty that allows the United States to fund Israel. Where they differ is that the state of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians and Bolivia is not.

[Manuel]

Beautiful. Just beautiful.
We are slowly undoing 5 centuries of European Colonialism.

[crppplll]

Amazing that these small third world countries see the light before the newest third world country, the united states of america does.

[I Crause]

They are getting money from the massive amount of natural gas they are selling to Argentina and Brazil.Not Iran.And they will be getting a lot more money from the lithium in the Salar de Uyuni soon, so get your terrorists - sorry, Civilian Contractors - ready to liberate them, people!
I think the Bolivian govt probably did get help from Chavez' advisors when the US was using extreme right wing terror and fascist groups to try to create a civil war to obverthrow them from 2006-2008, though.I'll proudly concede that.From inside Latin America Hugo Chavez looks very different indeed. It did seem when I lived in Bolivia that some of Chavez' people were at least providing moral support, if not advice, having themselves survive a George Bush aided coup which killed around 100 people in Caracas in 2002.That was pure terrorism and I thought that was A Very Good Thing then and still do.So well done Chavez for upholding democracy.
Wow. Imagine what it would be like if the United States elected a government which put the needs of its normal people above those of international big business?
Actually, you don't need to imagine - just look at Bolivia.Hey, hey.

[David]

Bolivia has an army??? LOL I think the cartels operating from there have more firepower, money, and clout.

[Jeff714]

It sounds like the great success of the Socialist army in N. Korea convinced Bolivia to follow that winning path. By contrast, the capitalists and imperialists in S. Korea have so clearly been a failure that Bolivia should never follow that route. Good luck, Bolivia. Let us know how the food tastes in the Gulags.

[being honest]

that's ridiculous. Bolivian army is behaving like the former iron curtains-nations armies, they had ideology till they will get a grant. Otherwise things will change. They are getting money from Iran, Venezuela and Russia; therefore, any of these say nothing.