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8/20/1956 - The Opposition Speaks by Charles R. Temple

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS CaT Hotel Sucre Palace The Opposition Speaks La Paz Bolivia August Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Curren World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers My friend Albero I watching massing hordes Bolivian miners La Paz inaugurabion Presiden Hernan Siles Suazo Alberbo quiet undemonsrabive person whose voice ordinarily pitched close friends refer The Mute Today however exceptionally excited continued talking rather loudly through speeches given several MNR Nationalist Revolutionary Movement officials miners stood ranked about somewhat sullen faces keeping carnival aspec their brightly painted Alber5o talked politics times almos always theoretical strange Bolivian tendencyo personalize political events problems Iwas quite surprised turned miners cheered speaker The animals being their keepers Do these indians write Thab having their firs5 political experience without being smallest prepared challenge That their votes equal friends mysel ThePresidenthasthegalltocallthisa democracy dcalli anarchy Why governmen happening In Journal I copied published comments which identify opposing points happening first appeared Nacio government daily clrculaion August Truly greatevents ofApril 1952Ewhen MNR overthrewhe existing governt_ marked desbrucbion regime ins5ruments control esbablishment which opened profound revolution The National Revolution conscious planned effort seeking economic independence political consolidaion The second introduces recenbly published strongly critical MNR leaders A Nation Cross Un Alberto Ostria Ouierrez It reads In Bolivia there farce drama0 The first framed government Nationalist Revolutionary Movement MNR diffused parts world through dithyramb incessan propaganda But other drama olivia remains unknown Nevertheless inthedramaishebruthoftheBoliviannation crucified misery deceit sorrow Albero although favor MNR would subscribed second comment abundantly clear coffee later We Joined coffee friends Jumped discussion passion which suggested world stake Onewhol ookedratherlikeanoverlytragicDonuixoe withtheeffec spoiled teeth offered commens lugubrious fashion thathemademefeelasifwwereonheveryedgeofdisaster Theothersmall which ended statements rotund laugh This somehow funny since close nervous giggle least contrasted gloomy faces Alberto Quixoteo Wha5 afternoon I summarized below example opposition goverrmnt believes happened happening Bolivia today They pointed elections effect nullified military Junta seized power after results known In these elections Victor Paz Estenssoro leader MNR gained votes other candidate majority On grounds Pa being denied onstitu tional right govern MNR partisans Hernan Siles Suazo successful overthrowing litary General Selemne member Junta among other things opened Army arsenals revolutionaries With victory established Paz office refused convene Congress which accord should ratify election Thus continuedo govern until August unconstitutional president Bu always pretended truly democratic president rords wonderful things Alberto remarked In Lelec5ions traditional enemies MNR Communist party Joined forces Juan Lechn Syndicated Federation Bolivian Mine Since thesegroups Workers elect Paz Joined revol havelos oftheir separateidentitieswithinteMovement organization You should always remember still Communists fascists matter themselves 5oday Quixote concluded The Army which revolutionaries their allies police carabineros discredited after April month revol reduced shadow former This hrough imprisonment exile ranking officers givin indefinite leave soldiers perhaps imporant distribution weapons ammunitionoworkers miners andfarmers syndicates InFebruaryof1953i decided organize Army National Revolution staffed those officers identified intentions MNR The Judicial system renovated appointments sympathetic MNR although police carabineros taken MNR revolt purged unwanted elements emerged something first class fighting force As source power governmen5 tinuedo rural populations thereby creating armed militias responsible solely party Juan Lechln presiden NatiOnal Senate expressed attitude toward October follows Wihrifles theirshoulders abelief intheir class is5he dungaree armywhichII country protect enemies It workers campesinoS militias which standard revolution The Then democratic skill CRT29 Mmembership basis getin goveen almost where friend waiter Chulumaninthe remote Yunas because couldn anything La Paz without never He continued But persecution there Anyone spoke against Paz governmen Jailed exiled family sometimes molested armed search private homeso Alberto added I think worst feature though concentration camps These appeared during months Corocoro Uncia Catavi Curahuara Carangas miningareas Tales torture minimum living conditions surround these campsnd verified reliable instance I tolda story I heard U S Embassy employee Bolivian carried three months During tortured several vicious waysin order findout Embassy touch counter revolutionaries The Bolivians received story knowing turned three question Throughout tenure MNR adumbrated propaganda campaign against opposition groups lumping together under names oligarchy fascists imperialists enemies people There little_letup propaganda either official Papers public speeches clipped article La Nacin earlier which gives campaign After having Socialist Falange opposition party having violated amnesty decreed during elections In precautionary measures adopted Minister Stae leader fascists escaped cohorts The center MNR National Political Committee La Paz a5acked stones bullets outrageous adolescents Falange This already serious provocation The peaceful taken MNR party masses broken moment these displayed attitudes abacks excessive insolence persist The MNR recourse armed militias mobilize It ready armed campesino forces It order total mobilization armed campesino forces restore order cities disoriented fascist group insists persists tudes advise public opinion responsibility immature youths white shirts I suggested Alberto friends these MNR activities pretty pattern generally folloed successful revolutionaries Latin countries excepting destruction Army planned arming rural groups Did really expect anything different The laughing answered No although about someone changed rules BUt surely governmen people country accept these measures democratic action popular revolution I pointed MNR Justified these activities necessary ordero allow introduction social reform which would otherwise never sanctioned opposition The group admitted there Justice attitude criticize actual steps reform which government taken The major reform measures nationalization Faino Hochschild Aramayo mines Ocober agrarian reform decree of2August1953 Thefirstwasoprovidefundsounderwritef oreignpur chases finance education sanitary programs rural indian areas The second hands primary producers indians abolish centuries oppression campesinos Bolivia through expropriation large feudal estates redistribution these properties landless The enthusiasm MNR people indians these actions ignored several factors importance general success programo The mines taken production declining quality decreasing wheheavy inVestments fresh capital required renovate existing equipment prospect sources metal By abruptly expropriating enterprises government inherited these problems creted others exodus foreign technicians country without having necessary capital which themo Even regard alleged punishment owners fortheir years exploitation MNR actually failed capital resources private fortunes Bi Three banked outside Bolivia They initially their properties within arrangements worked government idemnify stockholders their interests percentagel profits exchange refining marketing The problems agrarian reform equally tricky The farmer worked toward subsistence goals often antiquated methods tools result emotional propaganda connected reform indian exuberance usurp expropriable lands including several model perties equipment useless The piece property produced parcelization which often resulted small patch support family Capital which might inviegled agricultural ivestment vanished There first apparatus rtion lands Agrarian Reform Council which evenually formed faced shortage funds personnel expedite inally campesino added confusion rotracted disputes boundary rights irrigation pracrices On other securely planted among rural populations indian should determine future Alberto commented The trouble doesn exactly wants He change better slightest about Whose fault MNR The three Bolivians might summed their criticism MNR government fashion Repressive measures being acted against opposition elements descending barbarousness concentrablon camps sustained publicly continuing propaganda campaign which damns MNR adherents The traditional source militiar power shifted Army armed indian syndicates Neither police carabineros these groups manpower firepower A sided policy directed toward winning support rural groups developed given weapons nationalization mines agrarian reform although lacking previous experience national politics illiterate received franchise There failure beyond first steps nationalization agrarian reform social chanes implicit these actions materialized beyond desire highly important exception indian become conscious rights human being probably never persuaded again Alberto friends might added these things having noted still remains little clear present state things For example political social refor theRthe demagogue belongs opposition The liberation indian feudal condition support cities raditional source opposition change among people otherwise disapprove MNR In spite shortages queues MNR often blamed government things The MNR bully young falangists carry cachiporraS metal flail about blackjack punch Jab depending holds But Alberto those think present qualifications For years MNR reduced problem freedom versus oppression They govern Movement dictatorial phenomenon touted beginnings instrument freedom device perpetuating contr power hungrF politicians They excluded MNR A paragraph letter I received American lengthy Bolivian experience serves nicely postscript opposition point He wrote TheRin political sphere acted fashion which I would label oppressive totalitarian deserves little credit In economic activites seems subordinated realities wishes concerted effort approval rural indian costs In social change tried indian awareness nation skiped advancing beyond concept In doing party iplanted through propaganda hatred indian except those members MNR promised given iajeion defense This created potentially destructive climate opinion among indians might promises remain unfulfilled unimportant Finally charac teristic governments based party decreed itself salvation nation contrary opinion Bolivian This Just eventually opposition revolution Sincerely J Charles R Temple