Thursday, September 18, 2008

Bolivia: Applause for Reuters

Credit where credit is due. Amongst the total dross reporting of mainstream media outlets, the coverage offered by Reuters over the events in Bolivia has been the shining exception. In this latest report, Reuters man-on-the-spot Eduardo Garcia (a man injured in a car accident in Bolivia last year that killed one of his colleagues) neatly captures what's really been happening and slaps down the ridiculously poor analysis offered by CNN, AP, Bloomberg and all the others in recent days.

Reuters LatAm deserves applause for the great job it's done in Bolivia. A far cry from the work of other newswires recently mentioned.

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Bolivia's Morales emerges stronger from crisis

By Eduardo Garcia - analysis

LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia's first indigenous president, leftist Evo Morales, has deftly handled a violent political crisis and appears strengthened as he heads into talks with opposition governors who resist his socialist reforms.

At least 17 people were killed last week as anti-Morales protesters stormed government buildings, sabotaged natural gas pipelines and battled with the president's supporters in four opposition-controlled regions.

He ordered martial law in the remote Amazon province of Pando and arrested the governor there, accusing him of ordering a massacre of peasants last Thursday.

But soldiers showed restraint, taking a hands-off approach at times to avert confrontation. And South American presidents strongly backed Morales at an emergency summit this week, condemning any coup attempts or separatist rebellions CONTINUES HERE