Spanish and Politics in Cochabamba

It´s the third day of classes here and my Spanish is getting better. My teachers seem to enjoy discussing politics with me. Yesterday my teacher Betty, who describes herself as not political, told me why she supports Evo Morales (whom everyone here calls Evo). Three reasons:

• Nationalization of the energy sector
• Cutting the salaries of everyone in Parliament and government including himself in half from 20,000 pesos to 10,000. Evo explained that when he was a campesino he got on by 1,000 so politicians should be able to get by on 10,000. It was a powerful symbolic action but of course whatever the symbol it was tough on the people who lost half their income; nevertheless no revolt
• The land reform. Here she explained that things were more difficult. Fifty families in the Santa Cruz area (what they call here "the Orient") own tons of land that they were given during the dictatorship in the 1960´s and 70´s. Evo wants to take back the land. Of course the landowners are fiercely oppposed.

The news you might have heard a couple of weeks ago about the election to the Constituent Assembly and autnomy was really all about this land reform. The landowners in Santa Cruz want autonomy so they can keep their large tracts of land and their riches. This is the richest part of the country and not surprisingly the whitest. People here in Cochabamba that I have talked to so far do not see the election as a defeat for Evo as reported in the Western media because a number of the smaller parties elected will side with him on key issues.

The photo above is another picture from the Fiesta I went to on the week end. Notice the fabric around the pots. Women here use these clothes to keep things warm and to carry things including their babies. Weaving is an important craft in Bolivia.