Newly elected Bolivian president Arce says Latin America is Trump’s “backyard”

In an interview with Sputnik, Luis Arce said that US President Donald Trump sees Bolivia, like all of Latin America, as a backyard.

Last Friday (23), the Supreme Electoral Court of Bolivia officially proclaimed Luis Arce the new president of the country, for the five-year period 2020-2025.

For Arce “there is a big difference” between the two candidates for the presidency of the United States. While, for Trump, Bolivia and Latin America represent “a simple courtyard”, Joe Biden could, perhaps, represent “the opportunity to speak and open some spaces for improvement. [nossas] relations and economy “.

It is therefore understandable that relations between Bolivia and the United States will depend on Washington’s position, and soon on the president-elect.

“If they want to respect us as a country, they respect our sovereignty and we speak as equals, there are no problems,” the new Bolivian president said in an interview with Sputnik.

Or the return of Evo Morales

Regarding the former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, Arce said that the former would do well to return to his country, to defend himself in court.

“If Comrade Evo wants, he will return to Bolivia and defend himself from all those legal actions that are brought against him, as they are breaking many rules,” he said. However, the proceedings against Morales “must continue, because it is an initiative of the judicial body”. Similarly, some judicial investigations have “already begun” against members of the interim government.

However, having held the post of Economy Minister in the Morales government for more than a decade, Arce believes it would “be good for him to return” to Bolivia.

Coca production

The new Bolivian government wants to industrialize coca production, Arce said.

“We want to industrialize the coca leaf, not only will we continue to produce it, but we will industrialize it”, to create, more concretely, “a toothpaste”.

The politician explains that “there are 14 alkaloids in the coca leaf, one of which is an excellent accessory against tooth decay, [e] that’s why people who chew coca don’t have tooth decay. ”Thus, the government is determined to start exporting its product.

Election of magistrates in Bolivia

Despite the fact that the judges of justice are elected by popular vote, Arce regrets that the people have not chosen “the best men and women to administer justice”. Therefore, the elected president foresees that the choice of these will again have to be based on meritocracy, rather than on popular vote.

However, this choice should be based on “a meritocracy that has a certain scientific and technical support through universities and institutes, even from abroad, in order to be able to evaluate the people who are applying for magistrates”, Arce reflected. Therefore, those who “pass through a much more demanding, more academic filter [e] more technical “should be chosen for the positions in question.

Among other things in need of correction, the socialist president said there are also several changes to be made to the Bolivian SUS, in order to provide better assistance services to the population.