" Evo Morales said that regional unity was key to face future social explosions, detonated by UNJUST ECONOMIC SYSTEMS."
Bolivian Leader Evo Morales Warns Of Future Social Explosions
Havana, October 31 (RHC)-- Bolivian leader Evo Morales says that if Latin
America's opponents of Washington's free trade policies unite, they could
deal a blow as serious as the U.S. loss in Vietnam. Speaking at a special
panel at yesterday's session of the 3rd Latin American and Caribbean Social
Sciences Conference here in Havana, Evo Morales said that regional unity was
key to face future social explosions, detonated by unjust economic systems.
Calling on intellectuals of Latin America to come together with grass roots
leaders and end free-trade economic policies in their countries, Evo Morales
said that these economic policies favor the privileged rich while ignoring
the majority poor.
A former presidential candidate and now a congressman, Evo Morales is
strongly opposed to free-trade policies being pushed by the United States
and known as the Free Trade Area of the Americas. The leader of Bolivia's
coca-leaf farmers was at the forefront of protests that toppled former
President Gonzalo S�nchez de Lozada several weeks ago after the president
promoted a plan to export Bolivia's natural gas.
U.S. Congressional Leaders Warn They'll Eliminate Amendment Lifting Travel
Ban to Cuba
Washington, October 31 (RHC)-- Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill have
announced that in order not to embarrass U.S. President George W. Bush, they
will eliminate an amendment from draft legislation passed by both the House
of Representatives and the Senate -- designed to lift restrictions on travel
to Cuba.
Republican Senator Richard Shelby, one of the Joint Congressional
Committee's main negotiators and an opponent to the amendment on Cuba, told
reporters in Washington that they "we are fully aware of the veto threat" by
the White House. The senator noted that the president has not vetoed any
legislation up to this point and didn't want to send anything to his desk
that would trigger that first veto.
The amendment, attached to the draft appropriations bill for the Treasury
and Transportation Departments, was approved by a clear majority for the
fourth time in the House of Representatives in September, followed by the
Senate last week.
Sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats, the amendments would prohibit
those departments from using funds to enforce restrictions that prevent U.S.
citizens from freely traveling to Cuba.
The bill is currently being discussed by the Joint Congressional Conference
Committee, where legislators are working out differences between the two
amendments approved by the House and the Senate. From there, the document
goes to the president's desk to sign or to veto. But, from all indications
on Capitol Hill, it doesn't look like Bush will have to worry about
exercising the first veto of his administration.
