Mallku and Joaquino join forces for elections.

Los Tiempos, 21/05/07

Potosí - Felipe Quispe, el Mallku, announced that the possibility existed of uniting forces with the leader of the political party Alianza Social (AS- Social Alliance), René Joaquino, going into the national elections.

This possibility was admitted to after holding a meeting with Joaquino over the weekend in the office of the latter. “We can not remain with the status quo, we can not be witnesses and accomplices to the government of Evo Morales,” he affirmed, signalling that this was why he was obliged to unite forces in order to eliminate Yankee imperialism. He clarified that an alliance did not yet exit with Mayor Joaquino, but he affirmed that they would reach an ideological political agreement. They would also speak with other political leaders so that with a revolutionary school of the left they could improve the country.

“We carried Evo on our shoulders to the presidency. After more that a year it seems that we have received nothing. The Aymara, Quechua and Guarani are not being taken into account by the government, we have not even received 10 cents”, affirmed Quispe, protesting against the current government.

For the campesino leader, president Evo Morales obeys the right given that he is a “lapdog of neoliberalism” because he follows orders from the US and Venezuelan embassy.

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El Deber, 21/05/07

The ex-deputy and leader of the Pachakuti Indigenous Movement, Felipe Quispe, reiterated yesterday that he wanted to form a front with the mayor of Potosi, René Joaquino, in order to participate in the general elections that were announced for 2008 by the president of the republic, Evo Morales.

Quispe assured that he met with Joaquino on Saturday, but not with the aim of assuming a position of leadership in the political front, but rather as “one more piece inside the Indian movement that aims to consolidate itself in the Bolivian electorate”. At the start of April, in Cochabamba, ex-MAS senator, Filemón Escóbar, proclaimed the mayor of Potosi as a presidential candidate. At the end of last month he participated in Santa Cruz in an event held by the citizens group Autonomia Para Bolivia (APB, Autonomy for Bolivia), lead by Mariano Aguilera.

According to Quispe, his political work is centred in the countryside, whilst Joaquino will dedicate himself to capturing votes in the cities. “We are looking for a united front to win government”, he indicated.

According to a poll presented last week by the international company Newlink Political, René Joaquino is one of the four political leaders who has a high enough profile to contest the national elections. The other three are: the president, Evo Morales; the vice president, Alvaro Garcia Linera and the prefect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa.

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