Should the U.S. be concerned for the expulsion of the U.S. Ambassador by the Bolivian President?

Should the U.S. be concerned for the expulsion of the U.S. Ambassador by the Bolivian President? It should not. The U.S. focuses on regions and/or countries that possess some sort of strategic or economic interest to the U.S. in which Bolivia the poorest Latin American country in the world does not possess. Bolivia is just not a strategic country either strategically or economically. However, the U.S. has invested millions of dollars into building the country's democracy, economy, and security forces. Bolivia's return to democracy in the 1980s sprung new relations between it and the U.S. The straining of relations between the two started with the election of President Evo Morales.
Again, should the U.S. be concerned? First, democracy is under siege. Morales has attacked democracy by forcefully pushing a new constitution that would not secure equal rights for all and pave the road for a perpetual presidency. To achieve passage of the new constitution, Morales has violated constitutional rules, intimidated legislators with his thugs, and has done away with the constitutional court after rulings went against his efforts. Furthermore, the constitutional initiative has caused confrontation which has resulted in several deaths. Second, Morales' economic policies have scared off foreign investment which has put a strain on the economy. He attacks neo-liberal policies of the previous governments and has replaced them with more socialist ones such as the nationalizing of industries. Bolivia’s inflation and unemployment are on the rise. Third, Morales’ coca policy has increased drug production. Since coca is an indigenous heritage crop, Morales has allowed the indigenous to cultivate a larger crop of coca. This policy has not only led to an increase of coca but an increase of the production of coca paste which is exported for further processing into cocaine.
In conclusion, when the situation looks deem for Morales, he uses the U.S. as a whipping boy. He has been successful in detracting his failures at home at the expense of the U.S. Morales continues to take plays from Hugo Chavez' playbook (as if the Venezuela model is worth emulating) with the new constitution initiative, socialist policies, and lack of counter-drug. Therefore, the U.S. should not be concerned with Bolivia's expulsion of the U.S. Ambassador. The U.S. needs to stop being Morales’ whipping boy and step away.

Major Isaac Gallegos, Foreign Area Officer

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.