Election Time in Bolivia!!! The situation has all the ingredients to spark civil war. Bolivia is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere (only Haiti is poorer). The population is 70% indigenous but the minority whites (or mestizos) have ruled the country since its independence. Over the last eight years, however, Evo Morales, an indigenous coca farmer, has grown very popular with the masses. He has promised to legalize coca production and nationalize the country´s natural resources, all to the dismay of the Bolivian elite and United States. The US ambassador actually said the US might reduce or eliminate aid to Bolivia if Evo wins. That comment only exacerbated the growing anti-american sentiment in Bolivia and throughout Latinoamerica. Furthermore, Evo has a natural political affinity with Chavez, Fidel, and Lula de Silva, although he claims
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