You will be aware of the US-backed "civic coup" underway in the Bolivia, and the threats this poses to democracy and all nations' right to political, economic and social sovereignty.
We urge you/your organisation to sign the open petition we have initiated in support of President Evo Morales and the Bolivian people, and to circulate it widely among left and progressive individuals and activists.
We hope you may also be able to use the petition to bring pressure on the government of your own country to publicly state its support for Bolivia's right to freedom from imperialist intervention.
Part 3. Julie Webb correspondent for 'Scoop' explains the inordinate influence that the Miami Cuban expatriate 'mafia' have on the US political system, resulting in the perversion of justice for the 'Cuban Five' now spending their tenth year in gaol. She outlines the repudiation and disappointment with the US justice system both domestically and internationally, with high profile identities delivering a petition and five people being arrested in a huge demonstration to demand justice for the Cuban Five. The travesty of justice is significantly harming respect for the US and its' political integrity.
The background on the Cuban expatriate 'mafia' - the criminals who left Cuba when Castro's revolutionary forces came to power and were forced to abandon the mafia backed rackets in gambling, prostitution and drugs. They want it back, and their influence in the US political system has meant that the Cuban Five are victims of 'payback'. And the US justice system in Florida is happy to go along with it. 5.3Mb 128kbps 5:45 mins
Part 1. Julie Webb correspondent for 'Scoop' from Latin America gives us the background history of five Cubans who have spent ten years in a US prison for the simple act of passing on information about expatriate Cuban terrorist cells in Florida and Miami. These remnants of the Batista regime of the 1960s, who fled to the US when Castro's revolutionary forces came to power have not been able to accept the historical reality of the Cuban revolution, and continue to plot and plan a comeback. They have been responsible for numerous deaths and plots not only in Cuba, but in the US. The FBI responded to this information by imprisoning the people who (perhaps naively) passed the compromising information about these terrorist cells on. Ten years later they are still in gaol. Julie Webb reports.
The 'other' September 11 which few North Americans are aware of, but is indelibly engraved in the memories of most Latin Americans - that is the US inspired coup against Salvador Allende (a legally elected President) and his government in 1973. Over three thousand Chileans were killed immediately in Chile Stadium after the post coup 'round up'
The footage here of the bombing of the Moncada (the Presidential Palace)has an eerie resonance with the images of 2001.
The military coup ushered in over two decades of Pinochet's military dictatorship. Many Chilean torture victims went to Australia, Scandinavia, Canada and other countries as refugees.
While sympathetic to the tragedy of 9/11/01 I can also understand the sentiments of Latin Americans who saw it as 'collateral damage' coming home to roost.
Another uncanny resonance I find in this footage is Allende's speech before he was killed, but when he still had some media access (in fact, he announced it as his final speech) - he predicted that the fascists would take and destroy certain radio stations and newspapers, and the headquarters of some of the social organisations.
Even as I write this I am awaiting news from a friend in Bolivia. Yesterday the Bolivian government expelled the US Ambassador for his support of right wing organisations that attempted to take over the government of the Province of Santa Cruz last Tuesday, with their leader threatening to divide the country. Here is an extract from the news she sent me yesterday:
Bolivia, September 11 2008
"After destroying property of recently-nationalised public entities, the fascist groups then burnt the offices of the human rights organization, Centre for Juridical and Social Studies (CEJIS), before turning their attention to media outlets. Radio Patria Nueva installations were burnt, offices of the State television company Channel Seven in Santa Cruz were attacked and equipment stolen. They forced Radio Alternativa to suspend broadcasts and intimidated other media that are not aligned to the movement for elite-led autonomy, in scenes reminiscent of the previous week in Cobija, where four radio stations had to cease transmission in order to protect the safety of their journalists."
It seems that some people never learn and try to force history to repeat itself in an endless loop. But then again, what goes around, comes around.
Jose Teixeira is an MP for the Fretilin party in Timor Leste. He was also involved in the negotiations with Australia in the 'Timor Gap' treaty, as the deputy Minister for National Resources. He spoke to community radio 2NimFM on the tricky subject of Australia allowing 'guest worker' visas to East Timorese nationals. The Australian government recently passed legislation to allow temporary work visas to Pacific Islanders. A similar arrangement for 'guest workers' from Timor Leste is still pending. Jose presents the East Timorese side of the difficulties involved in the scheme.
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