On a clear July day, when Bolivian President Evo Morales quietly flew home from Moscow, NATO fighters appeared in the sky and, threatening to open fire, landed the presidential board in Austria. For 14 hours they did not allow the liner to take off, violating all the norms of diplomacy and international law, until they forcibly searched it. They were looking for Edward Snowden - an American who revealed to the world the secrets of American surveillance of the German chancellor, of the French president, of the British queen ... and of us.
It was an act of air piracy. As the recent seizure of the Iranian tanker was an act of maritime piracy. Here it is, Western racism: with the president of a Latin American country, and even an Indian, they are not going to observe diplomatic politeness.
It was exactly six years ago. And Morales is back in Moscow. The legendary Morales, who called George Bush a terrorist, Evo Morales, who composed Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro the “axis of good” of Latin America, is one of the most remarkable modern politicians, and again met with President Putin.
Prior to Morales, his country, Bolivia, was the poorest in all of Latin America, and there this title was not easy to win - the competition is great. Now it has risen, the growth rate is stable 4-5% per year, but it has reached seven as well. Before Morales, 80% of the country's inhabitants did not know how to read and write - Morales eliminated illiteracy. Before Morales, the majority of the population - Indians, that is, the indigenous people of the country - were not even considered as people. Morales - the first Native American who became the ruler of an American country since the time of Columbus.
He performed so many miracles as not to count. Before Morales, the oil companies paid 18% to the treasury, and Morales left them 18%, and 82% took taxes to the treasury. Before Morales, the Yankees supported the local drug lords and burned the plantations under the pretext of fighting drugs. Morales allows you to grow coca - the traditional product of the Indians - and crushes the drug barons.
He managed to get the Americans out of the country: he refused to give them judicial immunity - and they left.
Morales supported Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, condemned Israeli aggression against Gaza, is friends with Cuba and Venezuela, with China and Iran.
He raised the welfare of the people, and the people vote for him. He has ruled for three terms and will continue to rule. The Constitutional Court of Bolivia declared illegal to limit the term of government - as much as the people want, so much will reelect Morales.
There is opposition in the country - and violent. They are right and far right who want to return to the golden days for them, when the landowners, landowners and servants of Western corporations had everything, and the people had nothing. But Morales is an outstanding politician, he manages to reach a compromise and not bring the conflict to civil war.
He is a moderate socialist. Instead of confiscations and nationalizations, he raises taxes, does not allow to sell national resources, provides free higher education, gives guaranteed old-age pensions and benefits for children.
He is reprimanded by left radicals for the softness of his socialism, and the rightists hate, like Castro himself, but the people are with him. Economically Bolivian socialism proved to be very successful.
Morales came from the bottom, from the Indian peasants, rose to fight for the coca and against the American henchmen who burned down their landings. In politics he was friends with the Communists, and in his government sit sensible left-wing experts of the highest class. He is part of that “pink wave” that rose 20 years ago in Latin America.
Over time, a huge resource found the path of deceptions, terrorism and military coups, and on the continent there was a sharp turn to the right. Then deceived Lulu in Brazil and Kirchner in Argentina by deception, Moreno was replaced in Ecuador in place of Correa, trying to overthrow the Venezuelan Maduro. The "pinks" were too soft and did not do it everywhere. But Morales held out and was strong.
Morales loves Russia, as all Latin American leftists love her. Although the red flag has not been flying over the Kremlin for a long time, but in the eyes of former friends there are also enemies! - The Soviet Union, nothing has changed. Russia is the same Soviet Union for them, only smarter. For Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Russia is a natural ally, for the Tserushniki and the latifundists it is a natural enemy. The mausoleum on Red Square in 1905, as in the American TV series, reflects a deep understanding - not of history, but of the essence of Russia's vision from the outside.
No matter how many voices of anti-Soviets and Balkhrusts rise in Russia itself, abroad, and even more so in Latin America, they are not heard and not understood. For Latin Americans, Russia is still the same Russia, where yesterday's serfs (in their language — peons) took power into their own hands, came to universities, created industry, freed themselves from semi-colonial dependence. That is, Russia is the flagship and model for Latin America. And the more they oppose Russia, the more they stifle it with sanctions, the more Latin Americans identify themselves with Moscow. They need to be not robbed, and here they learn from Russia.
The Soviet past is Russia's most powerful foreign policy resource. We in Russia can think about Ivan Ilyin, about Kolchak, about Konstantin Leontyev and Tsar Alexander III, but these names will not add a jot to Moscow support abroad. They have their own Kolchakov and Alexandrov III complete. But Russia to the victorious revolution continues to attract millions to Moscow’s side in Latin America.
Putin soberly leads the Latin American policy of Russia, allows Russian oil companies to invest and earn money, builds nuclear reactors, sells weapons - in other words, he managed to make this policy not only morally correct, but also economically profitable. And all this is in the shadow of the United States, who are indignantly looking at the Russian raids on their "backyard".
They think that it is possible for them to come to Estonia, and for us to Bolivia - go down! But the difference is that they come to Estonia as the successors of the Third Reich, relying on the most reactionary forces, and the Russians go to Latin America as the successors of the Soviets, as the power of light and liberation. And Bolivia is an important friend for us, not a peon who escaped. Viva Morales! Come back often, dear friend Evo!
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.