Following several deaths in clashes between protestors representing broadly middle-class and business interests of wealthier Bolivian cities, and the generally poor and rural supporters of President Morales, relative calm has returned to Bolivia and negotiations continue.
But, as Marcos and Gwen Quinteros, point out, deep divisions exist within Bolivia, particularly about how the country should be run.
(picture courtesy of openDemocracy)
“It was a confrontation between country folks and those in the city, between rich and poor,” says Marcos. “The local governments of five cities in Bolivia are still led by right-wingers; the rich.”
Leaders such as these have, according to Gwen, even been implicated in what has been called a massacre of Morales supporters, one video clip showing shots being fired from a car carrying a governor’s seal at Morales supporters trying to escape across a river.
Evo Morales’ government, a democratically elected one in a history of coups and military dictatorships, has been controversial for its economic, government and social reforms.
Morales has nationalised the Bolivian oil and gas reserves, using the billions in extra revenue to improve the situation of Bolivia’s poor, indigenous communities.
Evo Morales is himself Bolivia’s first indigenous President and his administration has surprised many and angered some.
Morales’ first act upon assuming leadership was to cut his own salary ‘so as to employ more teachers’ and his socialist policies, while incredibly popular with the majority of Bolivians (as demonstrated by his ever-increasing lead in polls and an overwhelming endorsement in a recent confidence vote) are viewed with suspicion by countries like the United States.
Marcos and Gwen Quinteros have hosted several BMS volunteers who have worked with the Extreme Latin America graduate gap-year programme, engaging in social action and church work across Latin America, and working with local church and youth programmes in Cochabamba, a city in central Bolivia.
Marcos and Gwen are not typical of many Western-minded missionaries in Bolivia (Gwen is Scottish, originally and Marcos, while Bolivian-born, studied with Gwen for a time at the BMS International Mission Centre in Birmingham), because, while not supportive of all his policies, they feel that President Morales is worth supporting.
“We definitely are more in favour of him,” says Gwen, “because he is trying to give a voice to the poor. On a very simple level, if he is in support of giving more of a voice to the poor, and knowing the historical situation of past governments here, then we just want to support that and bringing Bolivia to being equal. That’s what we’d like to encourage the Christian Church to also support and pray for.”
“Please pray for the talks,” says Gwen of ongoing negotiations between the opposing factions. “Pray for Evo Morales – he’s not a Christian – that he would come to know God and in his leadership of the country. And pray for the people here, that there would be understanding between them, that they can live in harmony.”
“The Evangelical Church and the Catholic Church have been praying for peace. But equally important is prayer for justice. Churches can have a great impact, to bring, through Jesus Christ, any people together.”