TIPNIS protest walk, UPDATE Monday, August 29, 2011

Pagina Siete reports in its website that the indigenous marching group expects the government meets them in Totaizal town, otherwise they will continue to walk to La Paz. The government says they were ready to talk in San Borja; current president says he is sorry the indigenous group hasn’t established contact with the ministers to continue with the dialogue….

Cochabamba’s perception on corruption

Los Tiempos published today results of a survey regarding how citizens perceive corruption in their municipalities. 1,200 citizens were interviewed in 14 disctrict of the city and 3 other municipalities. Bribery heads the polls by 39.28%; 21.74% agreed that all reasons were cause for corruption; 18.24% political friendship; 8.32% family related; ad 4.81% said none…

TIPNIS and USA relations? Protest Walk UPDATE 8/27/11

This cartoon is from La Razon, August 27, 2011. You can see Quintana, carving a “Gringo go Home” in the TIPNIS. Quintana is a public official who criticized indigenous TIPNIS leaders talking with US Embassy personnel and advocating that USAID should be expelled from Bolivia. This protest walk is in its 13th day;  yesterday the group walked 17 kilometers and…

Bolivian TIPNIS current display of forces… 8/26/11

As time goes by, the Bolivian public perception and stakeholders opinion worldwide are reflected in this cartoon by El Diario, August 26, 2011. Ministers Delgadillo and Romero represent the whole executive power behind current president. The protest march led by TIPNIS and supported by CONAMAQ and CIDOB grows by the minute! So far, ministers who went to meet the walking…

TIPNIS negotiation/dialogue underway! 16:16 hrs 8/25/11

Bolivian government and TIPNIS leaders have decided to go ahead with the dialogue! The indigenous groups do expect that more ministers (9) join the talks to lead the discussion tables that were created (6) to discuss/evaluate the 16 points the groups are asking the government. http://www.paginasiete.bo/2011-08-25/Nacional/Destacados/Destacados_019.aspx The indigenous group does want current Bolivian president to come to the dialogue,…

Bolivia’s poor fiscal budget execution during 2010

As you can see in Pagina Siete’s report (Aug 25, 2011), Bolivian public sector lack of expenditures is growing over the years, as the red columns show for 2008 to 2010. The chart above that graph lists: central government (36.6%), departmental governments (20.7%), municipalities (30.6%) and other public institutions (percentages in parenthesis represent current budget execution). Between 2008…