Patricia Arce interview Bolivia MAS
How Bolivias new socialist senator resisted coup terror: Meet MAS party
leader Patricia Arce
MAX BLUMENTHAL AND BEN NORTON·OCTOBER 25, 2020
BOLIVIA
The Grayzone traveled to rural Bolivia to meet Patricia Arce, a former mayor
who was publicly tortured during a US-backed coup in November 2019, and is
now a senator-elect from the indigenous-led Movement Toward Socialism party,
which won in a historic landslide election on October 18.
By Max Blumenthal
Video and translation by Ben Norton
Transcript
MAX BLUMENTHAL: Just a few days after the dramatic landslide victory on
October 18 of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party founded by Evo
Morales, I traveled 3.5 hours from the Bolivian city of Cochabamba, with The
Grazyone team of Ben Norton and Anya Parampil, to Chimoré, here in the
tropical region of Cochabamba, thats a base of support for the MAS party.
We attended a gathering of regional party leadership, including the mayor of
Chimoré; Senator-elect Leonardo Loza, who is filling the role of Evo Morales
in the Senate; and Senator-elect Patricia Arce, who has become a symbol both
of the terror and cruelty of the (Jeanine) Áñez coup regime and of the
dramatic revitalization of her MAS party.
LEONARDO LOZA: Here we put our luck on the line, mainly the most humble
people, the poorest people, the most humiliated, marginalized people, not
only today, but for a long time.
And we, these people, we have won. Not with 10%, we have won with more than
25%.
The humble, the poor, the natives of this land, we are the majority.
Sister Patricia knows how we have suffered, in Cochabamba primarily. Every
time I spoke, the next day I had a new criminal charge. And I never stopped
speaking. I never went silent.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: Senator-elect Patricia Arce, thanks a lot for this
opportunity to talk to you here in the tropic of Cochabamba. Before we get
into the October 18 landslide victory of the MAS party that you represent, I
think that its important to talk about the events of last November, of the
coup, in which you were assaulted in the streets of Cochabamba. Can you tell
us what happened there?
PATRICIA ARCE: The 6th of November, for me, marked a very critical stage in
my life. It was something very difficult, what happened to me. I never
imagined that all of that could happen.
They found me in the mayors office. We found out that a mob was coming, of
this badly named Cochala Youth Resistance.
And the workers in the town hall started to shout that they were setting it
on fire. And we got everyone out of the office. And when I left, a mob
grabbed me. And they beat me; they punched me.
They threw oil, gasoline, and red paint on me. And they cut my hair.
They made me walk nearly seven kilometers, barefoot. And the whole time they
were hitting me.
And I was not able to understand what human beings would do this to another
person, who is also equal to them.
That day said a lot for me, because, never in my life had I thought that
would happen. Young people, who could be my children, my nephews. I mean,
there was no explanation for everything that was happening.
They took me away, to a place called Huayculi. Its a river. And there, they
wanted to make me beg forgiveness; make me denounce the process of change;
make me speak badly of the president [Evo Morales].
And, well, I cant. I cant do it. I cant go against my principles. I cant
go against my ideals.
And that is to say that, that 6th of November, for me, it has marked my
life, and the life of my children.
And all the while, for the entire year, we have suffered political
persecution, legal persecution.
They are making up a ton of cases against me, of sedition, of terrorism,
claiming that I carried out false flag attacks on myself
They have targeted my house. They have taken us out; they have forced us to
sleep a night, two nights in a police cell.
They took my youngest child to a center for delinquent youth, as if he were
a criminal, claiming it was punishment for us having violated the
quarantine, and crimes against health.
And theres more. (Interior) Minister (Arturo) Murillo, in all of his public
addresses, he threatens me, saying that he is not going to stop until he
sees me inside (prison).
They have made up a ton of cases against me. They have not been able to
prove one charge, because they are all fabricated.
And for us, truly, this year has been very, very hard. For all of us. Not
only for me, but for all of our sisters with polleras (indigenous dresses).
Women, young people. Young people who have lost their lives. Mothers who
have lost their children.
And truly, our country will see that, with so many sacrifices, in these 14
years (of the MAS in power) we have built up our country, with a lot of
love, with a lot of compromise, with a lot of work. And with a lot of
dedication.
To see that, in less than one year, they have destroyed our country.
And it is unfortunate that the OAS (Organization of American States), with
(Secretary General Luis) Almagro, has lent a hand in all of this, this pain
they have put on the Bolivian people.
Truthfully, it is very, very painful. I dont think anyone deserves that.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: What do you think, after all of these crimes that you just
described, after all of these injustices, what do you think needs to be done
now that the MAS party is back in power? A truth and justice commission?
Jail for the perpetrators of these crimes that you described? What?
PATRICIA ARCE: Well, we, we have to work a lot first to rebuild our country,
to bring back stability, tranquility for our people, so that all of us
Bolivians feel free. And so that, so we can all walk the streets, without
thinking that someone is going to come and attack us.
We have to work on that, and also we have to make fundamental adjustments to
what is justice. Because those people who came to power in the name of
transition for us, coup-mongers they have used justice to be able to
persecute our brothers and sisters. And that, we have to change.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: And the interior minister, who is considered the enforcer of
the (Jeanine) Áñez administration, Arturo Murillo specifically?
PATRICIA ARCE: Yes, Mr. Murillo. The only thing I hope is that justice does
what is has to do.
We are not demanding revenge. Because we are from a culture of peace, a
culture of love, and a culture of work, and of unity.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: How would you say that life has changed here in Cochabamba
over the last 11 months, since the coup?
PATRICIA ARCE: It has changed a lot. In these 11 months, we have seen
first-class citizens, second-class citizens, and third-class citizens.
The government has only worked for one minority group. And it has been very
rough with the majority group.
For those of us who are of indigenous descent, (WHAT?) and that is a product
of, as I said, very difficult for us.
We have not had access to healthcare, in this pandemic. They have canceled
our school year. Our young ones, they have taken away their right to
education.
They have taken away our right to healthcare. And they have also taken away
our right to the freedom of expression, because we think differently. We
dont think like they do.
We have been persecuted. And also mistreated, in all of this process.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: After all of this, why did you decide to run for Senate?
PATRICIA ARCE: Well, in the MAS, we dont decide the positions. It is the
social organizations which choose us. We dont pick ourselves. Is it they
who choose us. And us, the only thing we have to do is to meet the demands
of the social organizations.
And this opportunity, it is a very big commitment. Because we know that very
difficult moments are awaiting us.
The people of Bolivia have again put their trust in the process of change.
And for us it is greater responsibility and work to be able to move forward.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: Whats at the top of your agenda after taking office?
PATRICIA ARCE: For me, it is to work, so that not one woman suffers
mistreatment. And to also work for the youth. The least protected groups are
women and young people.
That is what we are going to look into. So that the youth have direct access
to jobs. So that all of the public institutions of the state are obligated
to help young people, so they are able to work.
Because when a young professional goes out, the first thing they ask for is
experience. And if we dont offer the possibility to have this experience,
where are they going to get it?
It is very important to work on this, and to work to eradicate violence
against women.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: What do you think the importance is of indigenous people and
women in the MAS party and its success?
PATRICIA ARCE: For us it is very important. Because the indigenous peoples
have always been marginalized.
And it is not in the struggle against the process of change. It is the
struggle; it has been the struggle, because our leader is indigenous. Thats
why.
Here in Bolivia, there was a coup for two reasons: racism, the class
struggle, and also for our natural resources, the lithium. Because of that,
respect is very important for us.
And this, the triumph of Bolivia does not only reflect Bolivia; rather it
reflects all of Latin America, and all of the world.
Women have to play a very important role. We women are capable, of running
both a home and a country, of running a municipality. Because we have
demonstrated that.
And we want to thank our brother Evo Morales, who gave opportunities to
women to fill public positions (in government).
In my country, 50% need to be men, and 50% need to be women.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: On October 18, on the night of this massive victory, when
your party won by 25%, what was your reaction?
PATRICIA ARCE: Well we saw that, yes, we are going to win. Because you could
feel it in the street. We had so much support from the people.
When we talked to 10 people, eight supported us; they asked us for flags.
And we were sure that we were going to win.
And that day was a mix of concern, a mix of fear. Because the same people
who had committed the fraud, those from the OAS, they were here. And also
they, they were preparing to commit fraud against us.
And the concern was that those groups would once again come out and, with
the help of the military and police, they would be able to come out and
attack us.
But the conscious people prevailed over everything. And today we have a
great victory, with 55%.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: Well you obviously know that our government, the United
States government, has been supporting this unelected transitional coup
government, and continues to support it to this day.
PATRICIA ARCE: Yes.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: What message do you have for the American people?
PATRICIA ARCE: Simply to tell them: All peoples deserve respect; all peoples
deserve respect for their dignity, for their culture.
We are a multi-ethnic, multicultural country. And we respect other
countries.
We would not go to foreign countries to determine the destiny that they are
going to give their country. We are very respectful.
And we ask them, those countries that have been part of the coup, that they
reconsider. Because we are free. And we can govern ourselves.
We will not allow, we do not want people who get involved in our problems.
Because we know what our needs are. And we also know what our strengths are.
MAX BLUMENTHAL: Patricia Arce, thanks so much for speaking to The Grayzone.
PATRICIA ARCE: Thank you.
from The Grayzone
