This cartoon is from El Diario, December 13, 2011. It shows how current government is handling the meeting where most of the players and real stakeholders were left out of it.

You see two of the ruling party talking in front of an entrance door with the label: Social Summit, Cochabamba, And a chart that reads: “all invited except: owners of smuggled cars; narcs; smugglers; land-take-overs; invaders” And one of them is saying: “I place that sign, so that anyone could attend without remorse..” and the other one replies “like that, I do not think there will be a quorum..!”

Current Bolivian government has been saying that this kind of setting is more representative than the National Assembly… which was chosen democratically, by the way…

This government has been releasing the news that around January they expect to meet with political parties of the opposition (to probably run the conclusions they will reach during this week’s self-admiring club meeting)… all of the above I believe it is just an elaborated effort to gain some time, to escape from new production and employment promises… in the meantime, there will be people who see that their salaries are falling behind to inflation; few or no new jobs will be created and corruption and narcotraffick will continue to blossom.

If Bolivians have experienced persecution, unemployment, narcotraffick and inflation. This year will probably bring, in addition,  more anarchy, fewer democratic tools will remain available to protect citizen’s rights and the environment will continue to deteriorate…