The Unasur commission into the Pando Massacre has started to make its findings known

Leopoldo Fernandez is the Pando prefect now under arrest awaiting trial. Note the two overriding colours
of his Bolivian supporters; white (skin) and green (separatist flag)

Rodolfo Mattarollo is the Argentine lawyer who headed up the Unasur fact-finding commission in Pando, charged with investigating what exactly happened on September 11th this year (sidebar..what is it with that date?).

Here's the link to a report by Argentina's Pagina 12 newspaper about the advance presentation Mattarollo made to dignitaries yesterday. I've translated the first part below, but quite honestly I don't feel like translating any more. Read for yourself and find why. You can always run the link through Google translator if you Spanish isn't up to scratch and you want to read the whole article.

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The ex-president of the Bolivian senate, opposition politician José Villavicencio, walked past the camera shouting, "If Evo wants blood, he'll have blood." Meanwhile in the background a mob ran towards a group of indigenous people. The images pass as if in a documentary, while the auditorium in the Argentina Chancellory watches in absolute silence. An indigenous woman tells of the Pando massacre looking directly into the camera.

With tears in her eyes, she remembered how a group of "men from the city" burned alive one of her colleagues last September 11th. Next to the burned body, the woman's baby was crying hysterically, she narrated. Enboldened by the wails and discontrol, they picked the baby up by the legs and shook it and, as it wouldn't stop crying, shot it in the head.

continues here

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Meanwhile, check out the racist taunts that indigenous Bolivians suffered in Washingtion DC this week in this post at Down South. These racist scum are the people that the WaPo innocently calls "opposition activists". What you just read above is the type of action they support.

Murder, rape, police brutality: Pando in Bolivia is still in the grip of fascists

This is the link to the English language report from Ukhampacha Bolivia. It fills me with disgust to see the way that both Bolivian national media and the wider international press corps ignore this story and try to bury it behind political ambitions.

Real people, real suffering, real fascism, real violence, real rapes, real murders. Where are you, Simon Romero? Where are you Andres Oppenheimer? Where are you, Jackson Diehl? How does this story not qualify as "Fit To Print", NYT?

Read the link. Click it and read it.

Bolivia: A video showing the Pando massacre

Yes, I know what I wrote last night about 'last in the line'. but this is important.

This six and a half minute video is not pretty viewing, but it is necessary. Do not click to watch if raw footage of fascists killing defenceless indigenous people upsets you.

On the other hand, yes, you should click to watch this. You should be upset. Personally, I am spitting knives here.

Thank you JDS for passing this video on to incakola this morning.

Bolivia round-up

An arrested Leopoldo Fernández gets on a plane for La Paz today
(photo shamelessly stolen from blogsite "down south" doing on-the-spot marvels from Santa Cruz)

Pando chief Leopoldo "nothing to do with me, honest" Fernández is arrested and shipped out to La Paz. Nice on the spot blogging from Down South, who's in Santa Cruz right now and took photos of the local racists actually rallying to support the mass murderer when news of his arrest got out. Impressive stuff. Go see his blog, that's an order.

Abiding in Bolivia knocks one straight out the park with this post that goes into the details of how it all happened with plenty of source material on hand, too. Essential reading for those who want to understand how all this came to pass.

On a personal note, I've been pleasantly surprised about the number of people accessing last night's post that translated The Moneda Declaration. It seems there are still people out there who care for things like rule of law, decency and true democracy; good for you.

Even the LatAm right wing is disgusted by the Santa Cruz fascists. This is what President Alvaro Uribe had to say after last night's historic declaration. I have to say that Uribe has gone up in my estimation in the 72 hours.

Uribe sez:"(I support the gov't of Evo Morales) in the same way that Colombia always asks to condemn the terrorist violence that affects our country. It is very important that all South American countries come together to defend constitutional order and democracy in Bolivia that is made flesh in its President Evo Morales, who has just been ratified by a wide margin in an unquestionable democratic process."

Otto sez; w00t for Alvaro over that one

Unasur: The Official "Moneda Declaration" in full (English translation and Spanish original)

Here follows my English translation of the full Moneda Declaration that was unanimously agreed upon by the member states of Unasur tonight. The Spanish original is copied underneath. I believe my translation is accurate but take full responsibility for any mistakes if found by eagle eyes out there.

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Santiago de Chile, September 15 2008

The heads of state and the government of Unasur, meeting in the Palace of the Moneda, Santiago de Chile, September 15 2008, with the purpose of considering the situation in the Republic of Bolivia and remembering the tragic episodes 35 years ago in this very place that shocked all humanity:

Considering the the constitutive treaty of Unasur, signed in Brasilia on May 23rd 2008, enshrines the principles of unrestricted respect for sovereignty, of the non-interference in internal affairs, of the integrity and inviolbility of territory, of democracy and its institutions and the unrestricted respect of human rights;

Faced with the grave occurances reported in the sister Republic of Bolivia, and in favour of the strengthening of political dialogue and cooperation for the strengthening of citizen's security, the countries that make up Unasur express:

1. Their fullest and decided support for the constitutional government of President Evo Morales, whose mandate was ratified by a wide margin in the recent referendum.

2. They warn that its respective governments energetically reject and do not recognize any situation that implies an intent of civil coup d'etat, the rupture of institutional order, or that compromises the territorial integrity of the Republic of Bolivia

3. Consequent to the above, and in consideration of the grave situation that affects the sister Republic of Bolivia, they condemn the attack on government installations and public forces by groups that look for the destabilization of Bolivia's democracy, and demand the prompt return of those installations as condition for the start of the dialogue process.

4. At the same time, they call for all political and social actors involved to take the necessary measures so that acts of violence, intimidation, attacks on the democratic institutionality and estabished judicial order cease immediately.

5. In this context, they express the firmest condemnation of the massacre that took place in the department of Pando, and support the call made by the Bolivian government for a Unasur commission to be set up in this brother country to impartially investigate and report this lamentable occurance as soon as possible, and to formulate recommendations in such a way that it is not left unpunished.

6. They ask all members of Bolivian society to preserve national unity and the territorial integrity of that country, basic fundamentals of any State, and to reject any intent to undermine those principles.

7. They call for dialogue to establish the conditions that will permit the present situation to be overcome, and create the search for a sustainable solution, under full respect of the state of curfew and the current legal order.

8. In this respect, the Presidents of Unasur agree to create a commission open to all members, coordinated by the Pro-tempore Presidency, to accompany the tasks of the the dialogues conducted by the legitimate government of Bolivia

9. They will create a support and assistance commission to the government of Bolivia, in function to its requirements and including specialist human resources.

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Santiago de Chile, 15 de septiembre de 2008

Las Jefas y Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno de Unasur, reunidos en el Palacio de La Moneda, en Santiago de Chile, el 15 de septiembre de 2008, con el propósito de considerar la situación en la República de Bolivia, y recordando los trágicos episodios en que hace 35 años en este mismo lugar conmocionaron a toda la humanidad;

Considerando que el tratado constitutivo de Unasur, firmado en Brasilia, el 23 de mayo de 2008, consagra los principios del irrestricto respeto a la soberanía, a la no injerencia en asuntos internos, a la integridad y a la inviolabilidad territorial, a la democracia y sus instituciones y al irrestricto respeto de los Derechos Humanos;

Ante los graves hechos que se registran en la hermana República de Bolivia, y en pos del fortalecimiento del diálogo político y la cooperación para el fortalecimiento de la seguridad ciudadana, los países integrantes de Unasur expresan:

1. Su más pleno y decidido respaldo al Gobierno constitucional del Presidente Evo Morales, cuyo mandato fue ratificado por una amplia mayoría en el reciente referendo.

2. Advierten que sus respectivo Gobiernos rechazan enérgicamente y no reconocerán cualquier situación que implique un intento de golpe civil, la ruptura del orden institucional, o que comprometa la integridad territorial de la República de Bolivia.

3. Consecuente con lo anterior, y en consideración a la grave situación que afecta a la hermana República de Bolivia, condena el ataque a instalaciones gubernamentales y a la fuerza pública por parte de grupos que buscan la desestabilización de la democracia boliviana, exigiendo la pronta devolución de esas instalaciones como condición para el inicio de un proceso de diálogo.

4. A la vez, hacen un llamado a todos los actores políticos y sociales involucrados a que tomen las medidas necesarias para que cesen inmediatamente las acciones de violencia, intimidación y de desacato a la institucionalidad democrática y al orden jurídico establecido.

5. En ese contexto, expresan su más firme condena a la masacre que se vivió en el departamento de Pando, y respaldan el llamado realizado por el Gobierno boliviano, para que una comisión de Unasur pueda constituirse en ese hermano país, para realizar una investigación imparcial que permita esclarecer a la brevedad este lamentable suceso y formular recomendaciones, de tal manera de garantizar que el mismo no quede en la impunidad.

6. Instan a todos los miembros de la sociedad boliviana a preservar la unidad nacional y la integridad territorial de ese país, fundamentos básicos de todo Estado y a rechazar cualquier intento de socavar esos principios.

7. Hacen un llamado al diálogo para establecer las condiciones que permitan superar la actual situación y concertar la búsqueda de una solución sustentable, en el marco del pleno respeto al Estado de Derecho y al orden legal vigente.

8. En ese sentido, los Presidentes de Unasur acuerdan crear una comisión abierta a todos sus miembros, coordinada por la Presidencia Pro-Témpore, para acompañar los trabajos de esa mesa de diálogo, conducida por el legítimo Gobierno de Bolivia.

9. Crean una comisión de apoyo y asistencia al Gobierno de Bolivia, en función de sus requerimientos incluyendo recursos humanos especializados.

Bolivia: An excellent, must-read report from Jim Schultz of 'The Bolivia Blog'

Click this link to go to an excellent article put together by Jim Schultz of The Bolivia Blog at 'The Democracy Center'. Jim, a longtime resident of Bolivia, looks at the current situation and the background to the conflict. This article offers a wealth of knowledge in a single place.

No better way to find out how the current situation has arisen. Top quality work, Mr. Schultz.

Bolivia: Possibly up to 70 deaths in the Pando Massacre

Four of many bodies in Pando

The Blog Machetera does a fine job in translating hot-off-the-press news from Bolivia. Go visit for the full story, but here are two snippets:

According to constituent Veimar Becerra, the figure could be higher. “According to my calculations, I who am familiar with the place, there are around 70 dead,”

“It’s not a movie, it’s the truth: there were children, women, we don’t know how many were killed, the attack, the ambush began at 10 and went on until 5 in the afternoon. I got away because I hid in the bushes,” a survivor of the Porvenir massacre told the Erbol Network.

Two other bodies.

Locals say that paramilitaries attached to the Prefecture of autonomist rebel prefect Leopoldo Fernández were responsible for the attack using sub-machine guns. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Fernández. Otto reminds viewers at this point that Pando actually voted in favour of Evo Morales in the August 10th recall election vote. All the numbers available here.

UPDATE: Machetera deserves kudos for the fine work she's doing tonight. The site now translates another Bolivia media report of 106 people missing after the Pando massacre. Linked here.

Bolivia: Evo, Unasur, Pando, Abiding

To read what's going on in Bolivia, go to "abiding in bolivia" immediately and bypass my vague wanderings. I mean it. Here's the link to his site again; he's doing a stellar job in bringing you the raw news unfiltered through what other people want you to understand. Sombrero, Duderino.

Suffice to say that the wishful thinking I've been forcing myself to read about Evo's government under pressure, falling apart and suchlike from far right-wing pundits couldn't be further from the truth. The government of Evo Morales is handling the insurgents very well; neither pandering nor heavy-handed. Evo has strengthened in the last 72 hours as a President of substance, and rightly so. Meanwhile, locals in Santa Cruz are beginning to realize that Ruben Costas' way is hurting them more than the MAS party, and with the hotels now receiving cancellations from people who usually attend the city's big fiesta week at the end of September it's the local business owners who will be rebelling against their own "leader" next. In other news, an arrest order for Pando's prefect has been issued in connection with the now 16 confirmed deaths in the Pando massacre, and his reaction was typical of the bullyboy coward. He's fled to Brazil and is undoubtedly hiding out in the western jungle regions with his narco playmates.

Meanwhile, the most important development (for me at least) is that Michelle Bachelet, the in-turn President of the 12 country regional body UNASUR, has called an emergency council meeting over the Bolivia situation that takes place tomorrow. The pledges of attendance have been excellent, especially considering this summit has been called for at the drop of a hat. This is very, very significant. For maybe the first time ever, Latin America is taking full control of its own problems and is sending a clear message to the rest of the world. We can sort this out by ourselves, and we don't need you. Especially this "you".

Let's see what kind of resolution local leaders (with the emphasis on 'local') come out with tomorrow.

As a little post script, I'd add that Reuters has been covering developments very well, too. With that said, now go to Abiding in Bolivia and stop wasting time here.

Update: Now thirty confirmed deaths from the Pando massacre.

Bolivia: Eight dead and 34 injured by opposition mob

In the small town of Porvenir in department of Pando, a group of Evo Morales supporters were on their way to a support rally when they were met by an Anti-Evo mob. The local police quickly arrived and were in the process of mediating between the two groups when another band of Anti Evo supporters arrived on the scene with firearms, and opened fire on the pro-Evo group.

The toll is currently 8 dead and 34 injured. Reuters Spanish link here, Bolivian gov't website link here. I've tried to find a Bolivian opposition news media story on this, but it looks like they're going for the blackout tactics.

No further comment needed from Otto.

UPDATE: We now have a Reuters English language report here. They do it better than I can.