| Show US Bolivian Am Ambassador dor speaks at Butch Nielson staff writer Despite continuing severe terrorist and narcotics problems Bolivia is no longer the biggest joke in Latin America The country is currently currently currently cur cur- in fact one of the most surprising developments developments developments develop develop- ments in the third world in inthe inthe inthe the last five years said the US U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Robert S. S Gelbard Gelbard was at Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wed Wed- evening talking about current developments in Bolivia as part of the twenty- twenty fifth anniversary celebration of the Partners of the Americas Utah-Bolivia Utah chap chap- ter This chapter is one of the oldest partnerships in the US U.S. between a state and another country in the Western Hemisphere The chapter supports mutual business cultural social and ande e economic ventures Five years ago Bolivia was considered essentially worth worth- less The inflation rate when it bottomed out in 1985 was wasat wasat wasat at a phenomenal a year annually The average yearly income of a family was about to According According According Accord Accord- ing to Gelbard this downfall was due in part to the government in power from 1964 It was an extremist i I r 0 M f r f l' l S I It I wing right-wing military dictatorship dictatorship dictatorship dictator dictator- ship allied with the drug traffickers traffickers traffickers fickers who wanted to keep the country in economic upheaval After all the average coca farmer has an annual income of 1500 to 2000 a year which may sound like nothing but compare compare compare com com- pare it to the average yearly family income and the attraction attraction attraction tion is obvious In 1985 with the return to politics of a 78 year old man named Victor Paz- Paz the country began to turn itself around had been the father of the 1952 revolution the beginning of 12 years of democracy which ended abruptly in dictatorship in 1964 Since his return Bolivia has seen three consecutive democratic governments and partly due to US U.S. support has become a model for the rest of Latin America in many ways This year Bolivia's interest rate is at 10 look The militaristic tic government has been reduced to ten seats in the Congress and essentially no political power There has been a significant decrease in cocaine revenues Bolivia still has its problems On May of this year two Mormon mis mis- J i LI M 1 were killed by a Marxist terrorist group These were apparently the same terrorists terrorists terrorists ter ter- ter- ter responsible for a bombing attempt in 1988 on Gelbard and several other important important important im im- im- im politicians The terrorists terrorists terrorists ter ter- ter- ter are currently on trial but it seems possible that they may be released The worst and most difficult difficult difficult dif dif- dif dif- problem to solve in Bolivia however is the growth of coca plants to be used in the production of cocaine This is a national security issue that poses a large threat to America says Gelbard He says that if it is not taken care of it will be bethe bethe bethe the downfall of Bolivia He says that the problem needs to be aimed at the traffickers and geared at reducing demand which in inurn urn turn will reduce prices draw farmers away tom coca production The Ambassador believes this is going to take a major fight but with a hands handson on program it itcan itcan itcan can work Ambassador Gelbard is a rarity A friendly informal politician who welcomes any questions and manages to give a good long hour-long speech and still keep you from watching the clock i |
