International

SP Member of Parliament Ewout Irrgang has today asked Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen and Development Minister Bert Koenders to express their support for the democratically elected Bolivian President Evo Morales. Bolivia has for some weeks been suffering violent attacks and protests from the opposition, apparently with US support.

Irrgang, the SP's spokesman on development issues, denounced the fact that a president elected in a democratic fashion and one who, with a huge majority of the popular vote, has been elected and re-elected, has received so little international support. Above all, the United States is playing a double role in Bolivia, which is the poorest country in South America. There are even reports of American bullets being found, indicating direct US support for the undemocratic opposition. The EU, Irrgang insists, must speak up for the legitimately elected President Morales and unequivocally condemn the violence of the rebel prefects. "I completely agree with President Kirchner of Argentina who has said that he does not want to see another US-supported coup such as happened in 1973 in Chile. The Netherlands must demand clarification from the Americans regarding their role. The Dutch government must, and preferably at EU level, call more emphatically for dialogue and express its unambiguous disapproval of all acts of violence."

The SP Member of Parliament was in Bolivia during August as one of the international observers at the referendum to decide President Morales' political future. 67% of the country's population voted for Morales to continue in office.