Una destitución que representa el regreso de la vieja oligarquía y un golpe contra los pueblos indígenas

Evo Morales, el presidente indígena de Bolivia, se ha visto obligado a renunciar a la presidencia. Su vicepresidente, (Álvaro García Linera) también renunció, al igual que Adrianna Salvatierra, la presidenta del Senado, quien se suponía que asumiría la presidencia en ausencia de Morales. Mientras escribimos este texto la oposición ha arriado la bandera indígena wiphala en todo el país. Morales, el primer presidente indígena del país, es el abanderado de generaciones de socialistas indígenas. Su destitución representa el regreso de la vieja oligarquía. Es un golpe contra la llegada de los pueblos indígenas de Bolivia a la vanguardia de la historia.

Durante semanas, los manifestantes de derecha han acosado al partido de Morales, el Movimiento hacia el Socialismo (MAS). Han incendiado las casas y oficinas de miembros del partido y han atacado a sus seguidores. Recientemente Patricia Arce, alcalde de Vinto, fue secuestrada por una muchedumbre. Le cortaron el pelo, le tiraron pintura sobre el cuerpo y la obligaron a caminar descalza, humillándola públicamente. La masa ha bloqueado la sede de TV de Bolivia y la estación de radio Patria Nueva. En estos momentos, mientras escribimos, las fuerzas de derecha están saqueando y quemando la casa del presidente Morales y están tratando de arrestarlo.

Esto no es una renuncia. Nadie renuncia con un arma en la cabeza.

La élite política y económica de Bolivia apoya esta violencia, como parte del resurgimiento de la extrema derecha en América Latina. Los activistas locales están siendo aplastados por estas fuerzas. Nosotros, los abajo firmantes, denunciamos esta violencia y también preventivamente la violencia que inevitablemente se intensificará en las calles. Hacemos un llamado a las Naciones Unidas para que haga una declaración denunciando la naturaleza antidemocrática del golpe y las tácticas de mano dura de sus partidarios.

Corredactores:

1. Jordan T. Camp, Director of Research, The People’s Forum; Visiting Scholar, Center for Place Culture and Politics, CUNY Graduate Center; Co-Director of the Racial Capitalism Working Group, Center for the Study of Social Difference, Columbia University
2. George Ciccariello-Maher, Visiting Scholar, Decolonizing Humanities and Modern Languages and Literatures, William and Mary
3. Nick Estes (Lakota), Assistant Professor of American Studies, Univ. of New Mexico, Co-Founder The Red Nation
4. Christina Heatherton, Assistant Professor of American Studies, Barnard College; Co-Director of the Racial Capitalism Working Group, Center for the Study of Social Difference, Columbia University
5. Manu Karuka, Assistant Professor of American Studies, Barnard College; Co-Director of the Racial Capitalism Working Group, Center for the Study of Social Difference, Columbia University
6. Vijay Prashad, Director, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
7. Melanie Yazzie (Diné), Assistant Professor of Native American Studies and American Studies, University of New Mexico, Co-Founder of The Red Nation

Firmantes:

1. Samia Assed, Palestinian-American Human Rights Activist and Organizer, Board of Directors of The Women’s March
2. Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder, Code Pink
3. Bruno Bosteels, Professor of Latin America and Ibertian Cultures and the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University
4. Glen Coulthard, (Yellowknives Dene) Associate Professor in the First Nations and Indigenous Studies Program and the Departments of Political Science, University of British Columbia
5. Andrew Curley (Diné), Department of Geography, University of North Carolina
6. Jennifer Nez Denetdale (Diné), Professor of American Studies, University of New Mexico
7. Jaskiran Dhillon, Associate Professor, Global Studies and Anthropology, The New School
8. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous People’s History of the United States
9. Jodie Evans, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Code Pink
10. Ramon Grosfoguel, Department of Ethnic Studies, University of California, Berkeley
11. Sandy Grande (Quechua), Professor of Education and Director Center for the Critical Study of Race and Ethnicity, Connecticut College
12. Sarah Jaffe, author and journalist
13. Robin D. G. Kelley, Professor, Department of African American Studies, Distinguished Professor of History & Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in United States History, UCLA
14. Winona LaDuke (White Earth Ojibwe), Program Director of Honor the Earth
15. Thea N. Riofrancos, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Providence College
16. Boots Riley, Filmmaker
17. Linda Sarsour, Palestinian-American Activist and Co-Founder of The Women’s March
18. Audra Simpson (Mohawk), Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University
19. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
20. Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, and Director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice, Union Theological Seminary.
21. Christy Thornton, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Johns Hopkins University
22. Gregory Wilpert, Managing Editor at The Real News Network
23. David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of anthropology and geography, Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) Gerald Horne, Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston.
24. Anya Parampill, journalist
25. Richard Pithouse, Associate Professor at the Wits Institute of Social Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Editor of New Frame, and Co-ordinator of the Johannesburg office of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
26. S’bu Zikode, Abahlali baseMjondolo
27. South African Shack Dwellers Movement
28. Irvin Jim, General Secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and National chair of Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party
29. Mbuso Ngubane Regional Secretary of National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa)
30. Andile Zitho Regional Secretary National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and National Treasurer of the Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party.
31. Michael Neocosmos (PhD), Emeritus Professor in Humanities, Rhodes University, South Africa; Distinguished Visiting Scholar University of Connecticut Humanities Institute, United States; Visiting Professor, WISER, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
32. Palagummi Sainath, Indian journalist and founder editor of the People's Archive of Rural India
33. Prabir Purkayastha, Indian Journalist
34. Vashna Jagarnath, deputy general secretary SRWP and Senior Researcher at the centre for social change University of Johannesburg
35. Eva Golinger, author and lawyer
36. Jodi A. Byrd, Associate Professor, English and Gender and Women's Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
37. Gary Y. Okihiro, Professor Emeritus of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, and Visiting Professor of American Studies, Yale University
38. Joanne Barker, Professor and Chair of American Indian Studies, San Francisco State University
39. Walter Johnson, Professor of History and Director of the Charles Warren Center, Harvard University