The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
July 2, 2009

Morales: Bolivia Trade Suspension Shows Obama “Lied to Latin America”
---------------------------------------------------------------------



President Obama has announced he will continue a Bush administration
policy of suspending trade benefits to Bolivia. The Bush administration
revoked the benefits last year, accusing Bolivian President Evo Morales
of failing to cooperate in the so-called war on drugs. On Wednesday,
Morales said Obama has been deceptive in promising a new era of regional
cooperation. Referring to Obama’s overtures at a recent hemispheric
summit, Morales said, “President Obama lied to Latin America when he
told us in Trinidad and Tobago that there are not senior and junior
partners.” The US has been accused of hypocrisy for targeting Bolivia.
The most recent UN figures show cocaine production in Bolivia rose just
five percent in 2007. Colombia, which has received billions in US aid,
saw an increase of 27 percent.



.