Bolivian Super Rich and U.S. Carry Out Coup Against the People

Nov. 26: New Orleans Workers Group holds a rally in solidarity with workers, peasants, Indigenous people, unions, and women’s organizations against the CIA-engineered coup in Bolivia.

New Orleans Workers Stand With Bolivian People Against Fascist U.S. Coup

The New Orleans Workers Group stands in solidarity with the workers, peasants, Indigenous people, unions and women’s organizations against the CIA-engineered coup in Bolivia carried out on behalf of the ultra rich. This anti-democratic coup is aimed at destroying the immense gains made by the Bolivian people under the leadership of Evo Morales and the Movement for Socialism (MAS). The ultra-rich in Bolivia are deeply racist and want to crush the historic liberation of the Indigenous masses in Bolivia. The rich are horrified that the oppressed, the indigenous people of Bolivia, including Morales, took their fate into their own hands.

These forces of the ultra-rich are destroying schools, burning homes, and attacking women and popular organizations. Their aim is to turn back health, education, and equality gains made in recent years. They seek to return to private profit-making vultures the vast mineral riches of Bolivia such as lithium. They seek to cut the country’s social services in order to get into the good graces of the International Monetary Fund and U.S. banks. It is total nonsense that an uprising against Morales took place on the basis of election fraud. The generals installed a president and cabinet who all hail from the non-indigenous super rich in a majority indigenous country.

This is yet another example of how even the most admirable efforts to build socialism remain vulnerable to reversal if they are confined to electoral politics. History shows us that the only way that the basis for socialism can be won is by arming the workers and peasants and getting rid of the military generals and police of the old state. We know that the Bolivian workers and peasants are up to the task.

U.S. labor unions have denounced this coup and have expressed support for Morales. These include the United Electrical Workers union, the National Nurses United and the AFL-CIO, the main union federation in the U.S. representing 12 million active and retired members.

Bolivia: Struggle is Not Over, the Masses are Mobilizing

Nov. 12, La Paz, Bolivia: Confronting a police officer, a woman demonstrates opposition to the racist, anti-Indigenous, CIA-backed coup that forced democratically elected President Evo Morales into exile.

The right-wing, racist coup government has unleashed violent attacks on the Bolivian people. At least 31 people have been killed, mostly pro-Morales protesters. Nevertheless, the workers, indigenous, and progressive people have not backed down. Protesters have continued to fill the streets.

Indigenous women lead protests against coup in Bolivia. Many carry the Wiphala flag (above captionless photo), representing Indigenous nations of the Andes.

On November 19, mostly indigenous protesters amassed and blocked access to a major fuel plant in the town of El Alto. They created roadblocks using tires and other materials. Police and military forces descended on them, killing three and injuring 22.

Defiantly, thousands gathered around the St. Francis of Assisi church the next day to denounce the violence. Aurelio Miranda, 54, told the press, “The world must know the truth. What happened was a massacre…They used weapons like you use in war.”

All those fighting for a more just world, for indigenous and women’s rights need to show our continued solidarity in this fight. All power to the Bolivian workers and peasants!

Sign reads: “Fire the self-proclaimed President Jeanine Anez.”

Millions Rise Up in Sudan- Women Lead the Way

Protestors demonstrate in front of the Defense Ministry in Khartoum, Sudan on April 22.

“Freedom, Peace and Revolution is the People’s Choice.” This is the phrase that has become the morning greeting of the Sudanese people.

Without stop for the past five months, millions of people across the country have mounted demonstrations in opposition to the government of Omar Al Bashir who was forced out of office on April 11.

Last October protests broke out over an austerity program imposed by Bashir which slashed government services and cut basic subsidies on commodities such as bread.

The demonstrators include many young people, among whom nearly 30 percent suffer from unemployment.

Women have also played a leading role in the mass uprising. Apart from the extreme economic hardships that have been born by the working masses of Sudan, women are doubly oppressed by public order laws which limit women’s access to travel, education, and association. Many have also protested the sexual violence that the Sudanese state upholds (marital rape is legal in Sudan).

Attempting a “palace coup”, a military junta has assumed the place of the ruling government, but the demonstrators have pressed on, demanding a full transfer of power to the civilian representatives of the Forces for Freedom and Change, a mass coalition which has been at the forefront of the protests. They are calling for continued mass action, demand the removal of all of Bashir’s associates and deputies, the freeing of political prisoners, and the lifting of the national state of emergency.