Last week President Dubya made a special point of emphasizing just how naughty Bolivia was because it wasn't cooperating with the USA's idea of cocaine eradication (y'know, the one that has thrown over U$6.7 Billion at Colombia in the last seven years with the net result of 50% more cocaine production in that country). Luckily, this has nothing to do with Colombia being special friends or Bolivia being horrid yankee-haters and we certainly know this because Condi Rice told us today. In her presser on the subject she said "The United States does not set ideological examinations", so we can all rest easy on that score, folks. I mean....since when did this admin ever lie to us?But Condi's speech today was marked by a distinct softening of tone towards Bolivia. Instead of taking her boss's No Soup For You attitude, Condi said things like "it would be unfortunate to have to separate Bolivia from the preferential trade agreement" and that "we remain willing to work with the Bolivian government", which is a far, far cry from Dubya's " Sadly, I have proposed to suspend Bolivia's trade preferences until it fulfills its obligations" of just one week ago.
Why the apparent change in protocol-tongue, people? Well Otto thinks it has a lot...I mean a LOT to do with this report filed by ABI today. Here's the full Ottotranslation in English:
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La Paz 23 Oct (ABI).- The Russian ambassador in Bolivia, Leonid Golulev, this Thursday offered the support of his country to collaborate in the fight against nacrotrafficking being undertaken by the government of Evo Morales.
"We are going to cooperate with what Bolivia requires in the fight against narcotrafficking because equal with Bolivia, Russia is a victim of this evil" he told the press at the gates of the Presidential Palace after meeting with the head of state.
He also stated that a delegation led by the Vice-Minister of Social Defence, Felipe Cáceres, will travel to Russia to finalize the bilateral agreement in the fight against narcotrafficking.
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Interesting stuff, no? To round off, Bolivia also announced today that its own coca eradication program was going very well and that its goverment had rid Bolivia of 4,613 hectares of its 2008 target of 5,000 hectares; nicely on course, in other words. What? Didn't your gov't tell you about Bolivia's own initiatives? How forgetful of them.............