Meeting Evo Morales in the rain

There was a mass political fest here in La Paz yesterday to commemorate Morales s 2nd year as president. It was a grand 14 hours of militant mass movement mayhem which started at 10am with a rally of miners and finished with glimpsing Morales through freezing rain at 12pm.

The miners, and other workers, came from all over Bolivia to protest "against Morales and the MAS leadership" for a basic salary for all Bolivians. Morales and MAS have just introduced a "salario dignidad" which is for those 60 and over without a job. Its not much but it will help the poor of Bolivia heaps. Anyways the COB - Central Workers of Bolivia Federation (made up of these militant workers) thinks Morales is not moving fast enough. The rally was really big. 10,000 to 15,000 women and men. Lots of banners declaring which organisation they were from. And loud. Bit scary due to the fireworks going off all OVER the rally. There were a few that were very bomb like. The police drove by at one stage and it was great to see the miners give them heaps. Think the miners have come a crop of the cops before! Huh!

Morales said when he was inaugurated 2 years ago that he was placed into presidency by the social movements, was accountable to them and would take his lead from them. Needless to say, COB are very much independent from the MAS leadership and are playing an important role. I think, however, that overall the Morales leadership is moving as fast as it can within the constraints that they have given. 500 years of Spanish robbery and 100 or so of American cant be fixed over night.

Franz Chavez, journo here, was saying that while Morales and co have nationalised 83% of the gas here...it has been hard guareenteeing the payment from that gas nationalisation. He also said there is virtually NO tax against the rich here. Some companies pay tax here...but he was saying not all. Within this...its hard for MAS.

Then ran into a campesino rally of 2000 or so and went to their meeting which was all in Quechoa, an indigenous language. Then went to a COB meeting. Then ran into another rally led by the health and education department which was really great...chanting, music. The particiupants were friendly which was a bit of a change from the indigenous rally where I copped a bit of gringo bashing! I gave as good as I got "Soy contigo companeros. Soy activista de Australia". I am with you comrades - I am an activist from Australia. Participants at the health and education rally were very friendly with an older woman making me watch out for pickpokets and getting the correct change for me. Nice! And we danced to some funky drums while marching. Yah!

Then we hung outside the Congress, waved at Evo Morales s back as he went into to Congress to give a 6 hour address about the last two years. A radio transmitted the entire 6 hours to the 500 - 1000 of us that were there. It started to rain though which was a bit crap. A nearby cafe housed the refugees and had Morales on TV. Phew! There, we watched him. Was great. After he had finished we went outside to say hello. About 200 hardcore supporters were there , many lefty Argentinians! And out he came! Yah! and we waved, shouted and acted like teenagers at a rock concert. Then we yelled "Evo...Evo..." outside his bedroom (cant know that for sure:) window for an hour with others and went happily home! Yehup!

Great day. More on his speech soon.