Evo Mas

A discussion of the food in La Paz (and Bolivia in general) truly highlights the current state of Bolivia’s economy. As a foreigner, it is nice to take advantage of great deals (which are not exclusive to the food alone) but it is difficult to enjoy the exchange rate and purchasing power of the dollar without seeing the other side of the coin, so to speak.

Economically, Bolivia is suffering and this suffering has increased, to some degree since the popular President Evo Morales took power some 22 months ago. In an effort to pursue the nationalization of many of Bolivia's resources, life has become a lot more difficult for many in Bolivia.

Some of the most insightful conversations I've had about the state of affairs in Bolivia have been with cab drivers. The conversations usually start the same, with me asking about the weather and the best soccer in the country, but after a few minutes, he will begin talking about issues a bit more personal to him (I have yet to have or see any female cab drivers).

One cabdriver told me that as opposed to the 4 days a week he normally drove, he was now driving everyday of the week, taking a break where he could, largely as a result of the worsening of affairs in the La Paz economy. Several cabdrivers have expressed their frustration with Morales, talking about how his preaching of a better Bolivia but inability to deliver in almost two years has left them hamstrung in several ways.

The greatest wisdom I have heard in my two weeks here, however, came from a cabdriver who simply said, "I'm proud of him." He spoke of the political corruption that existed before Morales and how the country was being ravaged by corporations. "These things take time," he replied to my question of how he could be proud if the conditions have worsened for so many. "So many have expected for positive change to happen overnight. Change for the better always takes time." I completely understood and agreed with him, but I was struck by how someone could take such a position when they were being squeezed. Sure it is easy to make such statements in an academic setting; afterall in school we are encouraged to elevate above a societal issue so that we can see it all at once, instead of seeing it from the perspective of the individual who has to live in it. It was a powerful thing to hear.

Some of the greatest support that you will see for President Morales is in the countryside, where virtually every wall that you see is spraypainted with the slogan, ¨Evo Mas.¨ The fact that Morales himself is of rural origin has a lot to do with this support, but it wasn't until I asked someone about the slogan that they explained to me that it was a double-entendre. Not only does it literally mean "Evo More" as in Evo Morales will bring more to the struggling country, but additionally, MAS is an acronym which stands for Movimiento A Socialismo (Movement to Socialism).

This was interesting and I would have asked for a deeper explanation (because, though I know that Morales has been a proponent, in many ways, of a socialist Bolivia, I didn't follow his campaign for the Presidency) but I was on a bus and we had only stopped briefly for people to grab food and use the bathroom.

Since finding out about the slogan and seeing how widespread it is, I have viewed La Paz and the rest of Bolivia through a different lens. In a world where there are few (if any) examples of successful socialism in action, I wonder if Morales has the ability and the vision to make it a success for Bolivia. The American press has, for a long time, mentioned him in the same breath as Venezuela's Chavez and the truth of the matter is that to most people, Morales´ message has been overshadowed by Chavez' eccentricities. As expected, everyday you will see a different headline on the major Bolivian papers, either expressing confidence or doubt in a Morales initiative.

To an extent, my time in Bolivia has shown me that there is a great deal of value in seeing a place before drawing conclusions about it. Everyday people are thinking and writing about places they have never seen, believing that the sole fact that the information is in a book or on the internet makes their analysis legitimate. There is a tremendous value in seeing a place with your eyes and feeling it with your hands; to have the opportunity to interact with people who have lived in a place their entire lives and hear their perspective.

In this way, I’m blessed and extremely privileged.