Carlos Toranzo writes for Pagina Siete:

Voluntary contributions

Skin-deep came the abuse of power of the movement toward socialism (MAS) with public servants, as these are forced to “voluntarily” contribute to the governing party, contributing not only to the election campaign, but since entering the official public administration, they must see deducted part of their remuneration for this contribution.

With incredible cynicism, several “masistas” leaders express that the contribution is voluntary and that it is the official that decides to give or not.

Well we know that in authoritarian regimes if the person does not comply with the requirements of power, street doors are open for the official who does, or judicial doors, and even those from jail, are open for those who dare to dissent from power.

But the requirement of these contributions is an exaggeration, because the regime uses with extraordinary discretion, the public funds for the campaign of the MAS and, obviously, for the election campaign.

Performed advertising expenditures are made with public money, the millionaire contracts without bidding, gifts in cash to the social movements, “Evo meets [delivers]” are “gifts” without credible auditing, and much more is spent for the Government campaign.

In a foreseeable way, they bought more aircraft for the election campaign. As if it were their own money, the Government distributes to the military to secure the loyalty of the military, to ensure the functioning of the civil-military Government.

And no one blushes is if engages works by $1 billion dollars and there is no bid for it. “Little purchases”, as the cable-car of hundreds of millions of dollars, nor require bidding.

It is that biddings for the “process of change” are neo-liberal; therefore, no need t0 do them, without further formality, commissions or “extras” come directly into the coffers of the party or of the party leadership.

The collectors are covered by the revolution and justice. Those who resell seized coca have freedom pure and simple, they explain that their tasks are for the party.

But the MAS to get to power said that it would be better than all of the previous political system, be the carriers of ethics and new moral behaviors.

Morales criticized the corruption of the previous party system, cornered the “neo-liberals”, accusing them of being corrupt. The MAS, along with their social movements and some addicted NGOs, said that the process of change was coming and had ethical messages and that it would be an example of ethical actions when it would be their turn to manage power.

But how soon that fell down, collapsed with Santos Ramírez and the shady maneuverings of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) and sinks, more and more, to see how the power is administered. The phenomena of extortion are a State policy that was used to destroy the opposition.

The way in which the MAS manages the power shows that it is most voracious on corruption that all the immediate past; “neo-Liberals” look like little guys against the MAS, who handles the State based on corruption.

Social movements in power, in El Alto or elsewhere have been greedy in the use of the administration of the State and have given several signs of falling into corruption.

The Chapare is the sign of the anti-values, because there is grown, not only coca, but illicit enrichments from drug trafficking.

The MAS was born out of unions, especially the coca growers, formed, with the help of Filemón Escóbar, in the style of the Mining Unions, with its corporate policy idea. From this political model, emerged the MAS, only at the last minute this party and its leader jumped on the bandwagon of the defense of indigenous people and indigenous peoples.

He [current president] has been presented as the maximum defender of mother earth, as jealous guardian of the environment, but the TIPNIS has shown that one thing was speaking on behalf of the indigenous people and different are the actions and the State policy, as this is disrespectful and repressive against the indigenous people.

It became clear that, that indigenism was false, because what is imposed is the idea of the association of coca-growers of power management. And the defense of mother earth? Again: discourse of legitimization to a reality in which they imposed the extractive developmentalism, that has no respect for the environment.

Where is the defense of ethics and the ethical actions of the State and the State administration? Where is the fight against corruption? Where are the ethical actions of social movements that manage plots of power? Where is the respect for indigenous peoples? Where is the cult for mother earth? They simply don’t exist. The MAS no longer posses these values.

Carlos Toranzo Roca is an economist.

http://www.paginasiete.bo/opinion/2013/12/11/aportes-voluntarios-8333.html