[NYTr] Bolivia Denounces US Interference

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com


Bolivia Denounces US Interference

La Paz, Aug 29 (Prensa Latina) Bolivia's Minister of the Presidency,
Juan Ramon Quintana, accused the United States on Wednesday of
interfering in the process of changes being boosted by the Evo Morales
government, and demanded that cooperation must adjust to local
standards.

At a press conference, Quintana showed evidence of US interference,
saying that Washington's economic assistance is handled discretionally
and that the "doors are open" for the US to leave if it does not adjust
to local politics.

According to Quintana, of the 130 million dollars that Bolivia received
this year, 81 million dollars are "freely available" to the US Embassy
in La Paz and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Therefore, he said, 70 percent of that aid is used discretionally,
without government control.

Quintana also disclosed the names of people and institutions that
receive large sums of money from USAID by concept of consultancy work,
which is aimed at interfering in the process of change demanded by the
Bolivian people.

The minister questioned the transparency of US collaboration and said
that from now on, the US Embassy must comply with Bolivian laws and
rules or leave the country.

He made it clear that the government's stance is not aimed at breaking
relations with the United States or the collaboration that the country
receives, but it is an invitation to Washington to adjust to the norms
and guidelines of the Bolivian State.

hr/jg/ga

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Bolivia Morales Criticizes Opponents of Constituent Assembly

La Paz, Aug 30 (Prensa Latina) The Bolivian government accused
dissenters of threatening the Constituent Assembly, halted Thursday, in
spite of a Constitution project slated to be delivered before December
14.

President Evo Morales said those who are against the Constituent
Assembly are the same who previously rejected that mechanism to
re-found Bolivia, and now as delegates, are doing anything they can to
cause its failure.

In a Wednesday act to deliver economic resources to mayors from the
tropical zone of Los Yungas and Cochabamba, Morales said conservative
rightwing sectors were defending the neoliberal model and warned that
stage has already been surpassed.

Among their maneuvers were the two third proposal to approve each
charter of the constitutional text and the autonomies' demand. 

"The opposition," stated Morales, "persists in discrediting the
government with rumors of alleged price hikes on basic products."

The head of State stressed that the Assembly is the result of struggles
of social movements, so they will never relinquish that conquest.

hr/iff/ga/mf