We all have them.  Actions that are inconsistent with our words, changes in attitude that reveal we weren’t sincere in the first place, etc.  For some reason, though, it seems politicians are the masters of contradictions.  In the case of national leaders, I suppose it makes perfect sense — they are elected by groups of people with diverse and often inconsistent interests.  By trying to please all or most of their constituents, national leaders inevitably paint themselves into a corner.  Then, when it comes time to choose between standing by tough talk or “compromising” (i.e., acting in a contradictory way), politicians do what politicians do.

That’s a long wind-up to announce that I’m upset with Evo Morales and his government’s decision to build a highway through some of the most beautiful rainforest on earth.  I’ve heard a lot about this issue since I arrived in Cochabamba two weeks ago, but I confess that I’m still shaky on some of the details.  In a nutshell, Morales and his MAS administration have brokered a deal with Brazil to construct a highway from Villa Tunari to San Ignacio de Moxos.  The 306-kilometer highway, bankrolled by Brazil and managed by a Brazillian construction company, will cut through the heart of Isiboro Secure Indiginous Territory and National Park (TIPNIS), dividing communities, destroying habitat, and, as roads always do, paving the way for further development and destruction.

Beyond the ecological impact, two factors make this project extremely troubling: (1) the fact that the people living in TIPNIS were not properly consulted; and (2) the fact that this project comes on the heels of President Morales’s inspiring leadership at the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth and in passing the Law of Mother Earth.

The people of TIPNIS make the case better than I can:

We report before Bolivia and before the world that our government is breaking the constitution, which they themselves put into law. Also the Environment Act, the Protected Areas Act and many other national laws and international commitments. They are trying to build this road, which would cause the greatest ecological destruction in the history of Bolivia, illegally without respect for the law or the rights of the indigenous peoples who inhabit it.

The road constitutes an attack on the life and culture of the Moxenos, Yurakaré and Chimanes peoples. It would also condemn to extinction the unique fauna and flora of the forest. The rivers, lakes and scenic beauty of the area would be irreparably affected. We ask President Morales that he is consistent with his speech and laws in defence of Mother Earth and the rights of indigenous peoples.

Some links on the issue for those interested in learning more:  here (positive coverage on the economic benefits), here (the full statement from TIPNIS), and here (an analysis from eco Amazonia).

-NF