Bolivia's
Morales 'forgives' US for jibes
AFP
PRETORIA
Petroleumworld.com 01 12 06
Bolivia's president-elect Evo Morales said Wednesday that he "forgave"
the United States for its jibes and accusations, adding that he
was ready to open dialogue with Washington.
"I forgive the people in the White House for their numerous
humiliations and accusations. I forgive because we must embark,
through dialogue, on the search for peace and social justice,"
Morales said in Pretoria after meeting South African President
Thabo Mbeki.
Explaining he had learnt on the Internet that morning that the
US State Department wanted to hold talks with him, he said: "From
South Africa, I say to the United States government and to the
State Deparment that we, an indigenous movement, have a culture
of dialogue."
"All dialogue aimed at ending poverty and discrimination
is welcome," added the president-elect, a socialist, who
arrived in South Africa on Tuesday as part of an international
tour which will take in Cuba, Venezuela, France, Spain and China.
Bolivia's first indigenous president, Morales was elected late
December and is due to be inaugurated January 22.
In Brazil on Tuesday, Assistant US Secretary of State for Western
Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon spoke of the need to talk with
Morales.
"We want an opportunity to enter in dialogue with the president-elect
and with the government to better understand how we can go forward
with the ... extremely positive ... relationship that we have
historically had," Shannon told reporters.
Morales is a vocal opponent of the US drugs policy in his country
-- notably its coca eradication programme - and of the US occupation
of Iraq, and US military presence in Latin America.
In Havana late last month, Morales said that the United States
"constantly accuses me of everything: being a drug trafficker,
coca leaf mafia man and a terrorist."
"We are proud to be coca producers; you know that coca leaf
is not cocaine."
Coca is the raw material from which cocaine is processed, but
it has also been used in traditional medicine in Bolivia.
Morales, a former coca farmer organizer, made it clear in an early
January meeting with US ambassador to Bolivia David Greenlee that
he will fight drug traffickers but will not eradicate coca cultivation.
AFP
01/11/06
Copyright
© 2006 AFP. All rights reserved
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