Wikiquote

Evo Morales

president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019

Juan Evo Morales Ayma (b. October 26, 1959), popularly known as Evo (IPA: [ˈeβ̞o]), is the President of Bolivia, the country's first Amerindian president.

Evo Morales

Quotes

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2000s

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  • Interviewer: Many in Bolivia say that you should be president and that you have more support nationally than any other candidate. What do you have to say about the pressure you may receive from the US government if you are elected president? The US ambassador in Bolivia has stated that if you are elected, the US will pull its financial support from Bolivia.
  • Morales: After more than 500 years we, the Quechuas and Aymaras [the Indigenous people of Bolivia], are still the rightful owners of this land. We, the Indigenous people, after 500 years of resistance, are retaking power. This retaking of power is oriented towards the recovery of our natural resources, such as the hydrocarbons. This affects the interests of the transnational corporations and the interests of the neoliberal system. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the power of the people is increasing and strengthening. This power is changing presidents, economic models and politics. We are convinced that capitalism is the enemy of the Earth, of humanity and of culture. The US government does not understand our way of life and our philosophy. But we will defend our proposals, our way of life and our demands with the participation of the Bolivian people.
    • Excerpts from a 2003 interview.
    • [1]
  • Friends, we have now won. ...I say to Aymaras, Quechuas, Chiquitaos, and Guaranis: for the first time we [indigenous people] are going to be presidents. And I want to say to businesses, intellectual professionals, and artists: do not abandon us.
    • 18 Dec 2005 in Cochabamba,zdfbzfdg Socialismo], as quoted by Spanish Wikiquote.[citation needed]
  • I am sure of the fact that Fidel and Chávez are commanders of the forces of freedom in America, to liberate America and the world.
    • Press conference during his first visit to Cuba, December 2005.
    • Terra (Colombia), as quoted by Spanish Wikiquote.
  • SPIEGEL: The Latin American left is fracturing into a moderate, social democratic current, led by Lula and Bachelet, and a radical, populist movement represented by Castro, Chavez and yourself. Isn't Chavez dividing the continent?
  • Morales: There are social democrats and others who are marching more in the direction of equality, whether you call them socialists or communists. But at least Latin America no longer has racist or fascist presidents like it did in the past. Capitalism has only hurt Latin America.
  • SPIEGEL: Do you believe that the Indian peoples have developed a better social model than the white, Western democracies?
  • Morales: There was no private property in the past. Everything was communal property. In the Indian community where I was born, everything belonged to the community. This way of life is more equitable. We Indians are Latin America's moral reserve. We act according to a universal law that consists of three basic principles: do not steal, do not lie and do not be idle. This trilogy will also serve as the basis of our new constitution.
    • Excerpts from an interview with Spiegel following his election as president.
    • [2]
  • If we want to save the planet earth, to save life and humanity, we have a duty to put an end to the capitalist system. Unless we put an end to the capitalist system, it is impossible to imagine that there will be equality and justice on this planet earth. This is why I believe that it is important to put an end to the exploitation of human beings and to the pillage of natural resources, to put an end to destructive wars for markets and raw materials, to the plundering of energy, particularly fossil fuels, to the excessive consumption of goods and to the accumulation of waste. The capitalist system only allows us to heap up waste. I would like to propose that the trillions of money earmarked for war should be channelled to make good the damage to the environment, to make reparations to the earth.
  • I learned that the political is above the legal, that’s why when my advisors tell me, Evo, what you are doing is illegal, I say, if it is illegal, then do it legal, you have studied for that
    • Press conference Digital Journals in Spanish such as La Razón citing the article "Cuando la ley se convierte en una piedra en el zapato" or Libertad Digital "Evo Morales confiesa que da "pasos ilegales" en Bolivia para aplicar sus reformas."
  • I want to tell you, companions and union leaders, to all of you, if you are not with the official party (MAS) at this time, you are the opposition. If you are opposition, then you are right wing, of the racist-fascists, of the neo-liberals...it is time for definition either you are with the MAS or you are a fascist (this rhymes in Spanish: Sos MASista o sos facista). There is no middle ground. Define yourselves.
  • The conspiracy against my government is headed by the US Ambassador, USA, with funds that came from American taxpayers would think that they're using to help Bolivian people, is using the money in order to campaign against my government and me they met with NGOs and other groups here always with intention of conspiring. They offered the money in condition that they take part in campaign against Evo Morales; the major vacaca city who visit us recently told me that he was offered money by USAID agency to run as an opposition congressman, they even offered to pay for his campaign and the mayor told me that the people work for US agency go from house to house telling people if they've get rid of Evo they would have more money, if you want the document about this, we could, we are going to present to prove this the document to the US Congress.
    • Talk to Jazeera (March 2008)
  • Leaders and delegates of the social movements present here at this World Social Forum, I was remembering the many encounters... where we participated to show our resistance to neoliberalism. I want to tell you, sisters and brothers, that I am the product of our common struggle against neoliberalism... these struggles which have been undertaken by the social forces of Bolivia and Latin America. I feel tonight marks the beginning of the permanent encounter between all the anti-neoliberal presidents and the peoples who are fighting against American imperialism.

Sisters and brothers, here at this World Social Forum another world has united--the other world that has not resigned itself to accepting the destruction of our planet. The other world that wants to put an end to the injustice of external debt. The other world that wants peace and an end to imperialist interventions. You are all who make that other world possible... and that is why, for me, there is nothing more important than to govern side by side with the social movements, with the common people, with those who have always struggled.

As presidents, we need to govern for all. We need to serve our peoples so that the social force that is being expressed through this World Social Forum can advance all of humanity, and stop those who have privilege and power from allocating all the wealth in a few hands.

Sisters and brothers, I want to let you all know that this Sunday past, in Bolivia, we have turned the page on neoliberalism and colonialism. Thanks in part to the collective social conscience of our people, we have placed a permanent block in our constitution that will prevent any future privatization of our natural resources and social services.

With this new state constitution, a product of 500 years of struggle, we have accomplished the full recognition of the rights of the indigenous and first peoples of Bolivia. Sixty-two percent of our citizens voted in favour of this constitution. What is most important is that more than 80% of all Bolivians collectively said NO to the "latifundio" in Bolivia (huge estates that are typically holdovers from the colonial era).

This was indeed a great display of the sovereign will of the people of Bolivia.

The world is being shaken by many crises: of finance, energy, climate, food, and institutions. But all of these crises are part of one big crisis experienced [and precipitated] by the capitalist system. If we, the peoples of the world, are not able to bury capitalism, then capitalism will bury our planet. And that is why, sisters and brothers, it is our great responsibility to stand up and defend humanity itself.

This crisis presents us with a great opportunity to build a different world, as long as we are willing to employ an alternative model. If we are not able to create this new alternative to capitalism, then capitalism will continue to destroy our planet.

That is why I have come here to propose to you four campaigns so that they can be taken up at this World Social Forum as part of the work needed in defence of humanity.

The first is a world campaign for peace and justice. This campaign aims to end all those wars that have only brought about death and destruction in Afghanistan, Iraq, and many other parts of the world. This 21st century has to mark the end of all imperialist wars...

The second campaign calls for a new international economic order based on the principles of solidarity, justice, and complementarity between all nations. This economic crisis we are experiencing has been created by neoliberal policies. This campaign proposes a new economic order, also proposes to fight against external and unpayable debt, the privatization of basic social services, and the patenting of life itself.

The third campaign that I propose is a campaign to save our planet Earth. An environmental campaign. The only manner in which we can seek to reduce the harmful gas emissions responsible for negative greenhouse effects is by changing the consumption patterns of those who, to satisfy the demands of the capitalist system, are polluting the environmenting the most. Our Mother Earth does not have unlimited resources which we can exploit indefinitely.

The fourth campaign I propose is a campaign for dignity, for identity, and for cultural sovereignty. This is probably the most important, since a society that knows its worth is one that is the strongest and best prepared to challange capitalism and save our planet.

Capitalism knows well that bullets and missiles will not suffice in its efforts to subjugate. That is why it seeks to erase our identity, to put an end to our cultural diversity, to convert us into mere consumers.

Sisters and brothers, it is most important that we unite and work with our presidents as we embark on this path towards our liberation from capitalism--a liberation not only of ourselves, but of all humanity, so that we can all become sovereign peoples.

2010s

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  • The chicken that we eat is chock-full of feminine hormones. So, when men eat these chickens, they deviate from themselves as men.
    • Speech at the inauguration of conference on climate change held near Cochabamba, Bolivia. April 20, 2010.[4]
  • Baldness that appears to be normal is a disease in Europe, almost all of them are bald, and that is because of the things they eat; while among the indigenous peoples there are no bald people, because we eat other things"
    • Speech at the inauguration of conference on climate change held near Cochabamba, Bolivia. April 20, 2010.[5]
  • Some countries of Europe have to free themselves from the US Empire. They are not going to frighten us because we are a people with dignity and sovereignty.
    • Statement told to his supporters at airport near La Paz after his flight was hold for 13 hours in Vienna, Austria after it was suspected that Edward Snowden was traveling with him on board. July 3, 2013.[6]

2020s

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  • The OAS made a political decision, not a technical or legal one. This is a report — now I have realized from the recommendations of some leftist brothers and sisters — that the OAS is not in the service of the people of Latin America, less so the social movements. The OAS is at the service of the North American empire.
  • Every day, we are reminded of the duty to continue our struggle against imperialism, against capitalism, and against colonialism. We must work together towards a world in which greater respect for the people and for Mother Earth is possible. In order to do this, it is essential for states to intervene so that the needs of the masses and the oppressed are put first. We have the conviction that we are the masses. And that the masses, over time, will win.

About

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2000s

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  • Bolivia has this long record of giving into the I.M.F. and the World Bank, privatizing their resources, like their power company and their water company. And the people of Bolivia were fed up with this... so Evo Morales ran on this ticket that said, “I’m not going to put up with this anymore.” .. The reason he was elected.. has to do with the extreme frustration and anger of the Bolivian people, of how they’ve been exploited and how the I.M.F. and the World Bank have insisted that they turn their resources over to foreign corporations. And also, you know, part of the World Trade Organization policies is that we insist that countries like Bolivia not subsidize their local industries and products, but that they accept our subsidies of them, and that they not erect any barriers against our goods coming in there, but they accept the barriers that we erect against their goods. And people around the world, Amy, are getting fed up with this. 300 million Latin Americans — South Americans out of 360 million, over 80% have voted for these types of candidates.... people like Evo Morales, really looked to Hugo Chavez as an example of someone who’s had the staying power. He’s been able to stay there, despite the fact that the (G.W. Bush) administration has spoken so strongly against him and is so angry...
  • Well, I have no doubt that he (Evo Morales) has been visited by at least one of these men... they walk into his office and shake his hands and say, “Congratulations, Mr. President. You won. We launched a strong campaign against you, but now you’ve won. And now, I want to tell you the facts of life and make you —”... Morales was very diplomatic about the whole thing, but absolutely stood firm and said, “You know, my people have elected me for a reason, and I intend to honor that.” This is what his initial response was. But what I will say is we can’t imagine the pressure now that’s being exerted on a man like Morales, as is true with all these other presidents. They know what’s happened before their time. And... the pressure will be put on them tighter and tighter and tighter.... And imagine being in that position. Imagine being an integritous person and really wanting to help your country, being elected with a majority — Morales got 54% of the vote, which is unheard of in Bolivia; he was up against many opponents — and then, wanting to implement the policy, and somebody walks into your office and reminds you of what happened to all these other presidents.
  • One of those leaders who came to address the U.N. General Assembly was Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia. While the U.S. rarely looks south for leadership, Morales’ example is worth considering. He has restored diplomatic relations with Iran. Against tremendous internal opposition, he nationalized Bolivia’s natural gas fields, transforming the country’s economic stability, and, interestingly, enriching the very elite that originally criticized the move...President Morales told me: “Neither mother earth nor life are commodities. We are talking about a profound change of models and systems.”

2010s

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  • "Moving forward, we must always go with President Evo Morales, not only do we have to speak, but we must all work [in favor of him]"
  • José Ariel Blanco, the 25-year-old owner of a stationery store two blocks from the legislature, said he was thankful for Mr. Morales’s achievements — chief among them, tackling the racism that the Indigenous had suffered for centuries. “My grandmother couldn’t walk into a bank in her Indigenous clothes until Evo became president,” he said. “Now she can, and that won’t change.”
  • In contrast, we were witnesses to how the highest level of government responded, threatening to surround the cities, cut off food supplies and wage war in the streets. The violence committed almost exclusively by government supporters left many wounded and several dead, but it also served to reveal the true character of the Movement to Socialism (MAS), which is still trying to sow chaos and fear in the population. From its conception and in its ideology, this is a movement to savagery, fueled by the discourse of racism and resentment, and openly rejecting the Church and God himself, as was evidenced by the words of now ex-president Evo Morales: “Should anyone say [salvation] comes down from heaven, No. From heaven comes only the rain, salvation does not come to us from heaven” (Jan 22, 2015). His fall from power demonstrates the opposite.
  • Broadly speaking, Evo Morales was a successful leader of Bolivia. A trade unionist with familial roots among the country’s indigenous peoples, he was first elected president in 2005 and was twice returned to office with substantial majorities. Morales is credited by the IMF with achieving a drastic reduction in poverty among farmers and coca growers and a societal revolution that, among other things, transformed the standing of Bolivia’s numerous ethnic minority groups.
  • He championed a “plurinational” constitution that guaranteed equal rights and opportunities for all citizens, effectively ending the monopoly on power previously enjoyed by Bolivians of European descent. His time in office also saw a big increase in women’s political participation.
  • In the eighteen years since I wrote "The Tribe of Guarayamín," there have been significant changes in in the politics of indigenous identity in the Americas. Most powerful among them is the resurgence of Latin American sovereignty, with a strong core of indigenous leadership, much of it female. Evo Morales, an Aymara man, is president of Bolivia, with a new Constitution that renames it as a plurinational state, in recognition of its indigenous nations. Universities, radio stations, courtrooms carry on their business in indigenous languages, and long idle lands of latifundista families have been reclaimed and distributed to campesinxs, some of whom have become, under the new indigenous autonomy laws, self-governing communities for the first time in five hundred years.

See also

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