Press Conference by President of Bolivia

 

Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma, speaking at a Headquarters press conference today, said the world had an “obligation” to use international forums, round tables and debates to reach a common understanding on economic, social, cultural and environmental issues. 

Mr. Morales welcomed the convening of this week’s high-level General Assembly meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, supplementary round tables on sustainable development and the inclusion of biodiversity among the high-priority issues Member States were to discuss. 

The Bolivian delegation had been and would continue to participate in the weeks events because “it is important for us to look at life, to look at humanity overall, and to address the issue of poverty”.  To that end, he proposed a change in key world policies and approaches; convinced that an unfair distribution of wealth was mainly to blame for global poverty.

Furthermore, he was concerned that countries of the global South remained dependent on international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.  International reserves held by each country should not be used for the interests of Northern banks, he said, pointing to the need for radical change.  “We need to have a ‘World Bank of the South’, so that countries of the South — not just South America, not just Africa, but other countries from other developing continents, including China — can group together and set up their reserves to finance their needs.” 

Turning to biodiversity, he stressed the importance of living in harmony with Mother Earth and nature.  Human activity had destroyed the balance of nature over time.  “We live on a finite planet, and development cannot be limitless.”  Current behaviours, such as high levels of consumption in the United States and Europe, were neither viable nor sustainable.  Rather than simply looking at the effects of climate change, world Governments must also consider its causes. 

Capitalists believed that only human beings had the right to life and regeneration, but Mother Earth had those same rights.  It was therefore essential that in the twenty-first century, human beings were able to guarantee Her rights.  “Capitalism is no solution for humanity or for life,” he said, emphasizing the need for a thorough, ongoing debate on the overarching importance of Mother Earth.

In recent years, Bolivia had experienced increasing levels of drought simultaneously with some of the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded there.  Moreover, millions of fish had frozen to death in the Amazon River even as lakes in the region had begun to dry out.  All those issues, he said, were the result of the capitalist system.  “We welcome technology and the countries that have it, but it cannot be right that countries invest millions in war and defence rather than allocate resources to deal with other problems,” he declared. 

He underscored that it was important to tackle the concentration of greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere to re-establish the balance of nature.  Due to his deep concern for the environmental changes occurring in Bolivia, he asked that developed countries reduce their emissions by 50 per cent and return to emissions levels from the 1990s, during the second implementation period of the Kyoto Protocol, set to begin in 2012.  However, he pointed out that some developed countries were still not fully respecting and applying the Protocol. 

Asked about the upcoming Meeting of the States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December, Mr. Morales recalled proposals made during the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia, this past April.  Those proposals, including the stabilization of global temperature rise to 1° C, had been made by “the people of the world”.  If developed nations sincerely considered those proposals, the outcome of Cancun should be great.  “If that is done, it will be a party, a festival.  It would be the first encounter of the Governments of the world with the peoples of the world.”

Responding to questions on his proposal for a “World Bank of the South”, he said there were plans to discuss its establishment with all countries.  If such a bank were created, a percentage of currency reserves from countries of the South would be deposited globally.  While the establishment of that bank would help to alleviate dependence on international financial institutions, they would still be needed.  Given that, he stressed that constraints should not be imposed in future.

Asked about the operations of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Bolivia, he said he felt that some regions were in danger due to the Agency’s presence there.  He had seen documents showing that USAID had financed a foundation or non-governmental organization which convened a group to protest against him.  In that regard, any country — including his — had the right to put an end to a situation in which their resources were being used for conspiracy.  “It seems that it is difficult for a black man and an Indian to work together for peace in the world,” he said, urging the people of the United States to keep tabs on President Barack Obama to ensure that the United States’ money was not used to conspire against other Presidents. 

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For information media • not an official record