Promises, promises!

There’ve been several protests in Bolivia in the past several months against the policies of Evo Morales who talks the rhetoric but doesn’t walk the walk of anti-neoliberalism. He’s been threatening to nationalize the mining industry since he was elected in 2006. Mining is the second largest source of export income in Bolivia & the largest employer after agriculture. Morales has tinkered with some legislation & made foreign investors nervous with his rhetoric but mining companies acknowledge very little limit is placed on their plunder of the immense natural mineral resources of Bolivia. To calm investor’s fears, JP Morgan revealed that while Morales is talking nationalization, Bolivia is sending delegations to mining investment conferences to solicit new private investment. Here, in La Paz, members of indigenous communities from the Mallku Kota region are attacked by cops during a protest against the mining operations on their lands by a Canadian mining company. The Malku Khota project in Bolivia is one of the world's largest undeveloped silver, indium and gallium deposits. These natural resources should be under the control of the people in that region & not private plunderers from Canada. Judging from the increased protests, Morales’ rhetoric is running out of steam. (Photo by Juan Karita/AP)