YouSaid · the spoken record

Evo Morales Ayma

lines on the record: 286
first: 2007-09-24
most recent: 2019-09-24
sittings or episodes: 13
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“If people like me, they like me a lot, but if they do not 08-51606 32 like me, so be it. What the world is going through is unjust. So much has been said about climate change, flooding, droughts, how our mountains are losing their snow. If we continue in this way, we will all be responsible for destroying the planet, and thus humankind. I have heard good statements from other presidents participating in this debate, from which I have learned a great deal; but I am sorry to say that I do not believe that it is enough to simply raise the problems unless we also provide the solutions. I would like to say that some blacklists have been drawn up to punish Governments. It is difficult to imagine that those terrorists groups are not condemned, while the national Government is decertified for supposedly being involved in drug trafficking.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“If we do not understand that capitalism is destroying humanity, then I am sure — and I hope that no one will be offended — that we will not solve the problems of life, the problems of the planet or the problems of humanity. I am not accusing anyone of being an accomplice of capitalism. From a communal and labour struggle to an electoral one, from organizer to President, I have become perfectly aware that capitalism is the worst enemy of humanity. As I said a few days ago, with great sincerity, while touring my country, I was brought up in social movements among workers, farmers and indigenous peoples. More than 500 years ago, our forefathers fought colonialism and imperialism, and that is why I am anti-imperialist today. No one is going to move me from that position.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“They are working in secret against the Government of Bolivia, thus violating the constitutional rights of their own United States citizens who come to Bolivia on scholarships. I would point out that when one works for equality and for social justice, one is persecuted and conspired against by certain groups. These groups are not concerned about human equality. It is clear that this is a historic fight for our peoples and that it is nothing new. We can speak about the economy, or about the cost of silver as an industrial commodity, but what we are talking about is the fight between rich and poor. It is the fight between socialism and capitalism. That historic struggle is being resumed now, but I feel that these battles are uprisings and rebellions of peoples against an economic model — against the capitalist system.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“For example, in previous Governments, they created a special counter-terrorism force, the F-10, and at one point in time their representatives informed me that, in 2005 or 2004, they were prepared to kill labour or political leaders who opposed capitalism and imperialism. When I appointed a commander, he was vetoed by the United States embassy. Of course, we are not going to allow any more vetoes. Last year, special firearms munitions were illegally brought into the country at the instigation of the commander of the United States military group, Colonel Campbell. We were told that these were missiles for training purposes. Moreover, they illegally employ young students belonging to United States peace groups to carry out spying activities on officials of the Governments of Cuba and Venezuela.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“After we discovered it, we had no problem getting rid of it because we had no need for a CIA office in the palace. Obviously, they were operating from there. For example, in 2004, they wanted to force the National Congress to give diplomatic immunity to civilians or members of the Bolivian military. We rejected that, of course, thanks to our social cohesion. In 2005, they began dismantling the military’s missiles, together with some commands and, of course, the administration in place at that time. Dismantling the military is treason; it is not possible that the Southern Command of the United States armed forces would practice such a policy. However, they continuously tried to control some members of the military.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I also remember — some participants may not recall it clearly — that in 2002, when I was called for the first time to be a candidate for the presidency, the United States ambassador said: “Do not vote for Evo Morales. If you vote for Evo Morales, there will be no international aid or international cooperation”, thereby instilling fear in the Bolivian people. And they did not stop there. They also said: “Evo Morales is the Andean Bin Laden, and these farmers are the Taliban”. Hence, standing before this Assembly is an Andean Bin Laden who represents the Taliban, which is the indigenous farmers’ movement that historically fought for its claims. There are so many accusations of that kind. When we came to power, we found a CIA office in the Government palace.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The ambassador of the United States was clearly the primary human element conspiring against the United States Government. I remember perfectly the year 2002, when I was a parliamentarian. On the instructions of the United States embassy, I was expelled from Parliament. I was accused of drug trafficking and of being an assassin. In 2002, the United States created a governance programme through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to finance the strengthening of the conservative political parties and put the brakes on a growing political liberation movement, a political movement for the sovereignty of our peoples, a political movement that was designed to bring an end to injustice and to seek equality for Bolivians.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“This morning I heard the statement of the President of the United States condemning terrorism. In Bolivia, right wing groups are setting fire to gas pipelines and cutting off the valves for the export of gas to Brazil and Argentina, but the embassy of the Government of the United States does not condemn such acts of terrorism. It is not hard to imagine that, if some social movement were to steal his country’s national wealth, the United States ambassador would condemn, denounce and repudiate such an act. I would like to 31 08-51606 hear the representatives of the United States Government denounce these acts of terrorism. Of course, the terrorists know that the United States is their ally. It is never going to condemn them.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The airports were taken by those groups. I remember that, when I was a boy, in the military dictatorships the coups d’état began with takeovers of the State television stations. History is repeating itself, but thanks to the conscience of the Bolivian people this civil coup in Bolivia has been defeated. Thanks to the participation of the nations that have now come together in the Union of South American Nations, this attempted civil coup d’état has been defeated. Here, I would like to say something. Surely, some participants are waiting for me to tell them why we expelled the United States ambassador. Europe and Latin America repudiated the attempted civilian coup, but the Government of the United States did not, nor has it denounced those acts of terrorism.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“After 13, 14 and 15 August, that small group of conservatives began to organize a coup d’état of municipal authorities and prefects against the Government and the State. I will quickly list some of those events. On 14 and 15 August there was a meeting of a so-called national coordinating committee of the right, which attempted to prevent the national authorities from reaching four regions of the country. They attacked the departmental command of the national police, and there was an attack on the police subcommander. A roadblock was set up in four regions to cut off food supplies for the population. Oil installations were surrounded. There was a general attack on institutions, and in four departments 75 government offices were taken over. The State radio and television were silenced, especially the community radios.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I received the support of 67 per cent of the people in the recall referendum of 10 August 2008. I should like to recall something important that our forefathers used to say — our leaders who fought for control of our land, people such as Tupac Catari. In 1741 we were cut into pieces by the Spanish invasion. Before Bolivia was founded and before dying, our leader said, “I die, but I will return transformed into millions of people”. For the first time a President of the Bolivians has received more than 2 million votes. So the statement of Tupac Catari, the leader of our ancestors, has come true. But that was part of a process of change in the democracy, with the awareness of the Bolivian people.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The recovery of our natural resources is so important that that has been the goal of a historic fight by our peoples. I wish to speak about some results with regard to social issues and about some profound changes in democracy that took place with the participation of the workers in various social sectors. However — and I am certain that in the last few days the world has been able to grasp this — there is an ongoing conspiracy of small groups against this process of change. I want it known that since the first day of my Government some conservative parties that favour imperialism have consistently tried to weaken us and to wear us down. Last year they requested a referendum to recall the President. I accepted that calmly, and instead of my being recalled, some prefects and some opposition authorities were recalled by the Bolivian people.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I came to the presidency in 2005 and 2006 as a result of that struggle by the social movements, which was accompanied by an ongoing labour and social struggle by our Bolivian comrades and brothers who were seeking equality and social justice. With a little experience I can say that in the two and a half years of my Government we have nationalized the natural resources, such as oil and gas, and the economy is beginning to change profoundly. In 2005, before I was elected President, the Bolivian State received only $300 million for its oil and gas resources. Last year, 2007, after nationalization and after we changed the hydrocarbons law, the Bolivian State received $1.93 billion. Being a small country with about 10 million inhabitants, that enabled us to improve the national economy.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“This meeting of the United Nations is being held at a time when there is a rebellion of peoples throughout the world, a rebellion against poverty and destitution and against the effects of climate change, against the privatization policies that have caused the financial crisis. 08-51606 30 I wish to tell the Assembly that in Bolivia in recent years we have experienced great uprisings by our people, social movements from the countryside to the cities, of indigenous workers and farmers questioning economic models and systems that simply privatized natural resources and steadily sacked the country. The privatization of basic services and the policies imposed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not solve anything for the majority of Bolivians.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In that context, I want to say that it is important to change our economic models and eradicate capitalism.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is our hope that these historic claims can be worked on and resolved, within the framework of complementarity, because neighbouring countries, Latin American countries and the countries of the world need to work in a complementary way if we want to resolve the problems of our peoples and nations. Complementarity is very important, and that is why we want to continue to work for humankind. In conclusion, as sometimes the red light on the rostrum makes one nervous, but never mind - I would like to say that I hope we can keep learning from events of this kind, in which so many participate. These are the best universities we have. But let us speak clearly and sincerely. Let us not falsify the truth, when we talk only about the effects of humankind's problems and not their causes.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I have learned, during my 20 months as President, how wonderful it would have been to work for the homeland and not for money, how wonderful it would have been to work for those abandoned by the peoples, how wonderful it would have been to work together with people who do not have many economic problems but who cherish their homeland and want to work for it in solidarity and with a sense of complementarity. I would also like to say that, as members know, we have a historic problem with our sister republic of Chile on the subject of the sea. We have now succeeded in laying the foundations of a certain trust between us: trust between our peoples, our Governments and our Presidents, through peoples' diplomacy.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“But if we want to make changes, then it is important for us to change ourselves first. Let us not be selfish, individualistic, greedy, ambitious or sectarian in our attitudes, concerning ourselves with just a few families instead of with the entire family on Mother Earth. So as presidents, as representatives of our different nations, we are talking about changing ourselves first, with a view to also changing economic models in a quest for equality and justice. During my 20 months as President, I have learned that I must work with the people and listen to their needs. There will always be groups who do not wish to lose their privileges, but those are ill-gotten privileges or privileges that enable them to use the State for family business rather than thinking of the families of others.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“If we talk about global warming, if we protest and fight global warming, let us remember that we are talking about Mother Earth. Since Mother Earth gives us life, we need to review our policies, but we also need to pay attention to what has been stated by our indigenous movement. We have lived in communities, collectively. What is being debated is collectivism and community against capitalism. Let us continue to debate, to reclaim these ways of life in order to defend life and to save humankind. I also want to take a moment to say that this new millennium must be the millennium of life, equality and justice, of respecting our identities and upholding human dignity. That is why we are talking about changing economic models, those systems that do harm to mankind.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I want to ask the United Nations to convene very soon a United Nations world summit of indigenous peoples to compile data on different cultural experiences. We are compiling data on our experiences in Bolivia through a programme called “Living Well”. To live better, one must sometimes exploit. To live better, one must sometimes rob. To live better, one must sometimes discriminate. To live better, one must sometimes plunder. But to live well means to live in community, collectively. This does not just apply to living among human beings. It also means living well in harmony with Mother Earth. The earth, for the indigenous movement, is something sacred. Mother Earth is our very life, it is Pacha Mama, as we say in our languages. Mother Earth cannot be turned into merchandise. Mother Earth cannot be turned into a business.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I think we have profound differences, when we talk about these matters of life and about our national majorities. I want to take this opportunity to express thanks for the support received from everyone, with the exception of four Governments, for the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We feel very gratified. The peoples of the Americas have waited for over 500 years for their rights to be recognized. We are part of a culture of patience. I wish to say that the fact that we now have this Declaration does not mean that we will act vindictively towards others. Indigenous people are not vengeful. We are part of the culture of dialogue and, most fundamentally, part of the culture of life.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“That is the most important thing, if we want to save life and humankind. Yesterday, too, I heard, and tried to comprehend, statements about biofuels and agrofuels. I do not understand how we can make use of agricultural products or food when it comes to cars. I cannot accept that that is what the products of the earth should be for. I believe that food should be for human beings and that soil should be for life. Are we really going to divert our land and food resources to provide for automobiles because of a gasoline or diesel shortage? Two days ago, I said that if we are really talking about life, then let us give up luxury. It is important to give up luxury. We cannot continue to accumulate garbage, we cannot continue to think about just a few families instead of thinking about all of humankind.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I feel we are making statements here in order to change these economic policies that have done, and continue to do, so much damage and that are leading humankind down the path to genocide. I still fail to understand why some countries are involved in an arms race. I cannot accept war. In Bolivia we are discussing, as a social and political endeavour, how a new political constitution could lead us to renounce war. I am convinced that war is the industry of death and that the arms race is one more industry that complements the industry of death. In this new millennium, how can countries and presidents keep thinking in terms of interventionism, authoritarianism and arrogance on the part of some countries towards other countries, and not think about humankind? I believe that we must work together to save planet Earth.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I am convinced that it is not possible for basic services to remain private enterprises. Fortunately, thanks to the foreign ministries of the Americas, water has been recognized as a human right. If water is a human right, it is important that it should become a public utility, instead of a private business. It is important that energy should now also be a human right. I hope that we can all ensure that energy is a human right. If energy is a human right, then it will never again be a private business. It must be a public utility so as to meet the needs of our people. I cannot understand how we can continue, under the guise of hegemony or of concentrating capital in a few hands, to do damage to humankind, to affect the poor and to marginalize other needy sectors.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“When the democratic change is under way in South America - i.e. the kind of democracy that liberates and does not submit to imperialism - there are further accusations and misrepresentations. There are accusations of people being cruel dictators, such as those I heard from the lips of President Bush yesterday with respect to the President of Cuba. I wish to greet all revolutionaries, especially President Fidel, for whom I have a great deal of respect. Fidel also sends troops to many countries, but they are sent to save lives, whereas the President of the United States sends troops to end human lives. Therefore, since we here today are presidents, let us think about life, humankind, how to save planet Earth and the question of climate change, which is a subject of ongoing debate throughout the world.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is capitalism and the exaggerated, unrestricted form of industrialization in some countries which are creating so many problems on our continent and on planet Earth as a whole. When we organize alongside social movements to protest and condemn these unsustainable policies, these economic models that do not solve economic problems, then what we get is military bases and interventions, wars, demonization, accusations of terrorism, as though peoples had no right to speak out about their needs, their rights, or to formulate new approaches to saving lives and humankind. I therefore believe that it is important for us, as Presidents, nations or delegates, to tell the truth in all sincerity about these economic problems, which are not exclusive to Bolivia, North America or South America.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“When I arrived at the airport, I was blocked, and my ministers - my indigenous compatriots - were subjected to hours and hours of controls at the airport. Some of us, the representatives of countries, were practically threatened by our hosts, by President Bush. If that continues, perhaps we should seriously consider, as Presidents and nations, changing the site of the United Nations. I personally am not willing to come here to be the subject of investigation. I feel that the decolonization of the United Nations too should begin and that everyone should respect us, whether we are small or large, whether we have or do not have problems. I listen to statements about glaciers melting, and they are made without addressing the underlying causes of melting and global warming.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Concentrating capital in the hands of the few is not a solution to the problems of humankind. Having the wealth of the world in the hands of the few does not solve the problems of human existence. Indeed, it exacerbates problems of the poor who inhabit planet Earth. We talk of global warming and the melting of the ice, but we do not say where it comes from. I am convinced that it comes from that ill-termed globalization — or selective globalization: a globalization that does not respect plurality and that does not respect differences. If we are to talk about globalization, first of all we must globalize the human being. I do not know how everyone here got to New York - or to the United States - but my delegation had many visa problems. Our parliamentarians could not obtain United States visas.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“That is my experience, and so I think it is important to create people's power. Let social forces take the decisions, and let the leaders follow the wishes of the people. In that way we can resolve our problems. Over the past few days I have listened to some very encouraging statements, but also some that were rather disappointing. They spoke, for example, of global warming and of climate change, and I know that many countries are victims of these natural phenomena. But I cannot understand why so many lives are lost to floods, interventionism, war and hunger? It seems that economic models are not going to solve the problems of humankind. I am all the more convinced of that after having heard many of those statements and the experiences that have been shared by world leaders.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In 2003, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund told our leadership to choose between a gasoline tax and an income tax to avoid a deficit. The Government decided to put a tax on workers' wages. In two days more than 15 people died in Bolivia because of clashes among Bolivians. Now let me say that last year, without income taxes, without gasoline taxes, Bolivia had a surplus thanks to the return of a natural resource, hydrocarbons, that is so important for my country. That is why I say that we have begun external decolonization. We are gathering the proposals and initiatives of our peoples organized in civic and trade union forums, in particular people who have economic problems. They have the wisdom to propose initiatives and solutions from their own neighbourhoods and from their own trade unions.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Now we are building up the power of the people so that the people are sovereign, not groups of families, and so that we, the peoples, have the right to decide on our future. That is the best kind of democracy we can implement, because it does not mean merely accepting certain policies or being subjugated by masters or bosses in my country. When I say that we are decolonizing externally as well, I mean that right now, there are no ambassadors in my country who change or appoint ministers. Before, unfortunately, United States ambassadors changed and appointed ministers. That is over. Thus, we have begun to decolonize our country. Once, policies were imposed on us by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. That is over too. I would like to share a little story about our country that I remember clearly.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is important, with the strength of the people, to recover these natural resources so that they can benefit the people and the nation. Of course, I completely understand that companies have the right to recover the economic resources that they have invested. They have a right to profit, but not like in the past when all they were concerned with was plundering our natural resources. The most important thing in all of this is that we have begun to decolonize Bolivia, both internally and externally. I say internally because my country previously had masters. If we look back at our history, there were masters that were descended from the viceroys, religious groups and the oligarchy. They ruled and the people were powerless.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Just a few years ago, Bolivia was considered to be the world's runner-up of corruption, but now I am delighted to see that international organizations have said that there has been a great decrease in corruption in Bolivia. We want to eradicate it. I want members to know that in 2005, before I became President of the Republic, Bolivia received only $300 million in revenue from hydrocarbons. That was a time when hydrocarbons, oil and natural gas were privatized, when they were given to the transnationals. Now that we have changed the oil laws and nationalized and recovered these very important natural resources, Bolivia will receive more than $2 billion in revenue this year. For that reason, Bolivia wants to share its experience with all leaders and with all nations where natural resources have been privatized.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“But at the same time, we shall do so with a great deal of strength, because the popular movement, the indigenous movement and the intellectuals and even the business and professional communities, have taken a chance on their land and their people, and are striving peacefully for democratization, ensuring a cultural revolution in my country. But sometimes it is more important to regain our natural resources. I very much regret to say that in my country, during the neoliberal regimes, natural resources and State-owned enterprises were privatized under the pretext of capitalization. In fact, they decapitalized the country, claiming that private enterprise would be the solution for unemployment and corruption. We actually saw an increase in unemployment and in corruption.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“For the first time in Bolivian history, the groups most forgotten, despised, hated and reviled throughout the history of Bolivia — we indigenous peoples — have assumed the leadership of our country to change our beloved Bolivia — to make political and economic changes, to reshape and re-establish our country, orienting it towards searching for unity, respecting our differences and respecting our identity so that we can work together to resolve our economic and social problems. In this brief period, I have felt and seen that it will be difficult and will mean fighting for the equality and justice of peoples, of all of us who live in the homeland.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“This is the second time I have addressed the Assembly in my 20 months as President. I come here to share our experiences with the Presidents of the many countries of our world. I wish to take this opportunity to say how pleased I am at the election of a new Secretary- General, who will be leading the international Organization for the good of humankind, and above all, for the good of the abandoned and the dispossessed. For that reason, I wish to briefly comment on my own country.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)