An Update on our Peace Corps Blog
We have received a good deal of feedback following our Blog post last week about the Peace Corps pullout of Bolivia and the auctioning off of its Cochabamba training center.
A number of Peace Corps volunteers wrote to us thanking us for our support of their work. One of those who was recently returned home wrote, "Thank you for your human portrayal of the fate of PC Bolivia, and for filling me in on what has become of our beloved Huallani [the training center]. Now, back in the US and putting my life back together, I again find that your reporting is the best out there."
Though the Peace Corps management has not contacted us directly, we have been told by several different sources that those managers are not happy that we suggested a link between the Corps' sudden departure from Bolivia and a flurry of moves by the Bush administration that came at the same time, aimed at politically punishing President Morales for his ouster of the U.S. Ambassador. Those moves included the removal of Bolivia from the ATPDEA trade agreement, its 'decertification' of Bolivia's anti-drug efforts, and the expulsion of Bolivia's ambassador to the U.S.
The Peace Corps press office, in reply to an inquiry from The Democracy Center, wrote:
The safety and security of all Peace Corps Volunteers is the agency’s highest priority. Since January 07 in Bolivia, we’ve initiated our Emergency Action Plans 20 times at varying degrees including alerts, standfast, and volunteer consolidations. Peace Corps suspended the Bolivia program because of increasing civil unrest, including blockading of major transportation routes, and escalating violence against Bolivian citizens.
We are maintaining most of the PC vehicles, all the furniture and equipment in the Cochabamba office as well as a skeletal staff. The furniture and equipment that is being sold is from the Training Center that was scheduled to be shut down and moved to the main Peace Corps Office in Cochabamba. The decision to close the Training Center was made a couple months prior to the decision to suspend the program.
I am certainly willing to listen to reasoned debate on why the Peace Corps was pulled from Bolivia and what real plans the Corps has for coming back. Some sources have told us the Corps claims it will be back in operation as soon as a year from now, others say 2010. Officially the Corps says it "plans to re-assess the suspension when the security environment improves in Bolivia." Our main hope, as we expressed earlier, is that the Peace Corps comes back soon. We think it is good for Bolivia and good for the U.S. as well.
A number of Peace Corps volunteers wrote to us thanking us for our support of their work. One of those who was recently returned home wrote, "Thank you for your human portrayal of the fate of PC Bolivia, and for filling me in on what has become of our beloved Huallani [the training center]. Now, back in the US and putting my life back together, I again find that your reporting is the best out there."
Though the Peace Corps management has not contacted us directly, we have been told by several different sources that those managers are not happy that we suggested a link between the Corps' sudden departure from Bolivia and a flurry of moves by the Bush administration that came at the same time, aimed at politically punishing President Morales for his ouster of the U.S. Ambassador. Those moves included the removal of Bolivia from the ATPDEA trade agreement, its 'decertification' of Bolivia's anti-drug efforts, and the expulsion of Bolivia's ambassador to the U.S.
The Peace Corps press office, in reply to an inquiry from The Democracy Center, wrote:
The safety and security of all Peace Corps Volunteers is the agency’s highest priority. Since January 07 in Bolivia, we’ve initiated our Emergency Action Plans 20 times at varying degrees including alerts, standfast, and volunteer consolidations. Peace Corps suspended the Bolivia program because of increasing civil unrest, including blockading of major transportation routes, and escalating violence against Bolivian citizens.
We are maintaining most of the PC vehicles, all the furniture and equipment in the Cochabamba office as well as a skeletal staff. The furniture and equipment that is being sold is from the Training Center that was scheduled to be shut down and moved to the main Peace Corps Office in Cochabamba. The decision to close the Training Center was made a couple months prior to the decision to suspend the program.
I am certainly willing to listen to reasoned debate on why the Peace Corps was pulled from Bolivia and what real plans the Corps has for coming back. Some sources have told us the Corps claims it will be back in operation as soon as a year from now, others say 2010. Officially the Corps says it "plans to re-assess the suspension when the security environment improves in Bolivia." Our main hope, as we expressed earlier, is that the Peace Corps comes back soon. We think it is good for Bolivia and good for the U.S. as well.
posted by The Democracy Center at 12:08 PM
The Democracy Center, based in Cochabamba Bolivia and San Francisco California, works globally to advance human rights through a combination of investigation and reporting, training citizens in the art of public advocacy, and organizing international citizen campaigns. If you like the Blog, consider becoming a subscriber to The Democracy Center's free e-newsletter by sending us an email at 
7 Comments:
a) They are gone because they are gringos and Bolivia is for Bolivians
b) They´re gone becuase they miss their mommas
c) They don´t like Bolivian food
d) They thought Bolivia was somewhere in the middle east, busted!
e) They were told to leave
f) The rent was three months overdue
g) They received one death threat too many
h) They like burgers better than chicharrón
i) Who cares?
j) They are worried because the US is now under black power ruling
k) They don´t want to spend this Xmas away from home
l) There were reports on drug and alcohol abuse
m) Jim Shultz hates them
n) Bolivians will go to war
o) Bolivia will be invaded by Venuezela
p) Bolivia sucks!
q) PC is for dummies
r) God will destroy Bolivia
s) Cochabama is a smelly town
t) Bolivians are not humans
u) Evo hates the PC
v) The US hates Evo
w) Bush hates the PC
x) Bush hates Evo
y) Bush hates Bolivians and Evo
z) Pass!
Possible future topics:
DEA getting kicked out of the country
DEA houses being searched for evidence of conspiracy - property and computeres confiscated
DEA assets being "nationalized"
Juancito Pinto bonos being handed out. Where do you think the $$ is going?
Teachers being denied retirement becasue the Pension Fund is empty
Teachers having 10% of their pay withheld to help pay Juancito Pinto
Teachers ask for 25% pay raise and are offered 14%... is it enough?
European Union conducts bilateral trade talks with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Is Bolivia left out in the cold?
Why is Podemos divesting itself of Tuto?
Why is it that during Evo's term we have constant shortages of fuels?
How's that whole Plan Puño de Hierro thing going? Confiscating fuel trucks and putting fuel smugglers in jail for 25 years!!!
How come we don't see pictures of Evo and Linera stepping out of Venezuelan helicopters any more?
Free Mumia!
6 Men and 5 Women Lynched in Achacachi Bolivia by Militant Morales Mob of over 2000
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=320782&CategoryId=14919
The Andean Talibans strike (torch) again!
Does anyone have info re PC cut backs in general? Two recent articles in media indicate "cut backs", with people being put on "hold", or their deployments are cancelled.
Any info appreciated.
Anon
AG said Friday its drug Tarceva was shown to extend the lives of patients with lung cancer without their tumor growing when given immediately after chemotherapy.wow goldThe data could help expand sales of the drug, which, until now, could be prescribed only to patients who had failed previous treatment.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home