Misty mountains

Music

00:00

CORCORAN: Deep in the Amazon lies the heartland of Bolivia’s new ruling class.

00:13

Leonida and Rena in jungle

Leonida Zurita and her brother Rene are “Cocaleros” – farmers named after their controversial crop – the coca leaf – a symbol of both suffering and power.

00:23

Leonida and Rena chew coca leaves

Bolivia’s Indians have always used coca for ceremonial and medicinal purposes.

00:39

Leonida and Rena pick coca

But the United States maintains that the bulk of this crop – will be treated with chemicals and exported as cocaine. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, this is where Washington declared a proxy -war on drugs.

00:52

Leonida

LEONIDA: We mobilised in order to defend the coca.

01:10

Archival. Bolivian Soldiers with American adviser burning coca

Music

01:14

CORCORAN: Led by US advisers – Bolivian forces launched a violent eradication campaign that left hundreds dead or wounded.  Cocaleros were radicalised -- forming a powerful political party – the Movement Towards Socialism.

01:18

Leonida

LEONIDA:  The Movement towards Socialism was born here in Chapare

01:41

Archival. Bolivian Soldiers with American adviser burning coca

as a response to the military repression that started in 1988 when  there  was an undeclared war in Chapare - dead, injured, detainees, widows, orphans so it forced us to have a political project to change our country.

01:48

Leonida’s hut

CORCORAN:  And change the country they did. In 2005, to Washington’s dismay, the Movement was swept to power in national elections.

02:20

Out here in the jungle there’s no power, no running water – but there is mobile coverage.

02:32

Leonida on mobile phone

Leonida Zurita is more than just a humble coca farmer.

02:43

She ran the Cocalero women’s union. Now she’s a Bolivian Senator and the Movement’s international representative. Travelling the world on behalf of fellow coca militant – elected President – the charismatic Evo Morales.

02:48

Calendar featuring Leonida

LEONIDA: For us, Evo is crystal clear,

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Leonida

a human rights defender.  He doesn’t lie to the people.   People today are with the President. We’re from Chapare and feel part of the Presidency.

03:09

Music

03:25

CORCORAN:   Her constituents are Bolivia’s indigenous people – two thirds of the population – the highest proportion of any South American nation. They’re also among the poorest – with a long tradition of being treated as second class citizens.

03:31

Leonida in Cochabama markets

Indigenous Bolivians were barred from voting until 1952.

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And many still can’t quite believe that after five centuries of domination by a mainly European elite - Indians are finally running the country.

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Leonida with woman

If there’s another election, will he win again ?

LEONIDA:  The people are aware that he has to be re-elected. We plan to vote but the enemy doesn’t want him to win again so that’s why they organise demonstrations and blockades.

04:10

Leonida in Cochabama markets

Music

04:31

Coca leaves in market

CORCORAN:   Coca remains a potent symbol of this social revolution. The new Government targets the sophisticated cocaine syndicates not the coca farmers.

04:38

20 thousand hectares can now be grown for traditional use – although the boundary between legal and illegal crops is blurred.

04:52

CORCORAN:   The Americans of course say you produce far too much for traditional use, that some of this is obviously going in to make cocaine.

05:04

Leonida

LEONIDA:   In Bolivia we don’t have the chemicals to make up cocaine. Those that come here are from the U.S. to make the cocaine, but our government says “cocaine no, coca yes.”

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CORCORAN:  So what are the traditional uses of coca?

05:28

LEONIDA:  Coca is medicine, natural, for diabetes, for stomach ache, for altitude sickness, like in La Paz, for altitude, this is good.

05:31

Music

05:44

Leonida at airport

CORCORAN:  These days, Senator Zurita’s political work takes her far from her jungle home. 

05:48

Leonida on plane

One country she can’t visit is the United States.

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During the coca war she was accused of involvement in the murder of a police officer and his wife.

06:00

She denies the allegation – and no evidence has ever been presented.

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Yet Leonida Zurita says she’s been declared a terrorist by the US and deemed a threat to the American President.

06:12

LEONIDA:  What am I going to do Mr President? Why is a man afraid of a woman? Later, they say I am a woman with terrorist groups, and armed groups, but as you can see I don’t have any armed groups.

06:23

Leonida with balloons

CORCORAN:  Senator Zurita is a hands-on leader. Today in the capital La Paz, she’s in charge of preparations for a key event.

06:46

Balloons tied to car

The President will make his annual address to the nation, and in Bolivian politics, symbolism means everything.

06:56

Snow capped mountains

Music

07:09

El Alto

CORCORAN: La Paz and the adjoining slums of El Alto  are a breathtaking 4,000 metres above sea level.

07:15

Nearly a million people, mainly Indians, live here, lured to the city by dreams of a better life. Their expectations of Evo Morales and his Government are high.

07:26

Billboard of Morales, Chavez, Castro

He promotes his alliance with other self-proclaimed champions of the oppressed -- Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez  and Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

07:43

Leonida at May Day preparation

For Leonida Zurita the struggle continues against those who still can’t quite comprehend that they’re out of power – a small, mainly white, business elite.

07:55

LEONIDA: That’s the racism they have against us.

08:11

Leonida

They hate us. They say “Those Indians aren’t capable of  governing.” And now, as Indians, we’re showing them how previous governments should have ruled.

08:16

Military band

Band Music

08:29

Outside presidential palace

CORCORAN:  At the Presidential Palace – the ceremony begins with  the traditional pomp and circumstance.

08:34

Distribution of coca leaves

But it’s now leavened with a distinctive indigenous flavour inconceivable just two years ago.

08:42

Dancing

Music

08:50

Morales on balcony addressing crowd

For the first time in Bolivia’s 500 year history an Indian stands on the Presidential balcony, garlanded by his close confidante Senator  Zurita. It’s been a remarkable trajectory for Evo Morales, from llama herder, to coca union leader, and now President.

09:07

Emerging from Bolivia’s political chaos and corruption to become the nation’s fifth leader in just five years.

09:27

EVO:  If we really want to dignify Bolivia, we have no other option but to be anti-imperialist, anti-neo-liberal and anti-colonial, my friends.

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CORCORAN:  He’s broadened his power base to include miners and the peasant movement, and vows to rebuild Bolivia. Demanded a rewrite of the constitution to safeguard indigenous rights.

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Declared U.S. capitalism to be the “worst enemy of humanity” and nationalised the country’s biggest earner – the natural gas industry.

10:03

EVO:  What we need is investment money  to explore and to exploit, to industrialise, that’s what we need. As we said, we need partners not bosses not owners of our natural resources!

10:14

CROWD: Evo! Evo!

10:33

CORCORAN:   But not everyone is cheering.

10:36

Fashion parade montage

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10:39

CORCORAN:  This is the other Bolivia. 500 kilometres to the east of La Paz, they march to a very different beat. In the city of Santa Cruz, local modelling team The Magnificas strut their stuff.

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It’s a display of what matters to Santa Cruz’s ruling class -- success, culture, wealth --and race. There’s not an indigenous face to be seen on the catwalk or in the crowd.

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Music

11:23

CORCORAN:  Top of the political and social “A” list is power couple - Carlos Rojas and his wife Marina.

11:28

MARINA:  The difference is that the Santa Cruz woman is a happy spontaneous woman,

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Marina

genuine. The woman from the west is a bit more withdrawn, reserved perhaps. Women here know how to get somewhere, assume a role, maintain it.

11:48

Mercedes dealership / billboards

Music

12:08

Carlos drives around Santa Cruz

CORCORAN:  Businessman, farmer and political activist, Carlos Rojas is proud of his city – A boom town built on agriculture and industry, and for a period during the ‘80s, the massive profits of the cocaine trade.

12:22

CARLOS:  Forty years ago, there were just 50,000 people in the city of Santa Cruz. Today the city has a million and a half.

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That’s meant that the economy in this area has improved and it’s been beneficial  for the whole country in terms of  growth and reducing levels of poverty.

12:50

Music

13:09

Carlos and Marina at restaurant

CORCORAN: Carlos Rojas says this region generates half of Bolivia’s wealth – that people here are fed up with economically supporting the rest of the country.

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He claims Evo Morales is now playing a dangerous race card –

13:26

Pitting white against Indian. Punishing Santa Cruz for the sins of past generations. It’s a concern shared by one of Bolivia’s leading political commentators.

GONZALO CHAVEZ: What’s going on right now

13:30

Chavez. Super:
Gonzalo Chavez

Catholic University of Bolivia

is that the more radical groups believe that the problems, the ethnic problems –discrimination: you were…I was discriminated in the past – now it’s your turn. That’s not the way you resolve your problems.  That’s the way you go to the abyss. And they can fight each other – and this is very dangerous – it’s a game, a very dangerous game.

13:46

Santa Cruz churches

CORCORAN:  Santa Cruz’s leaders complain it’s not just about colour – many so-called whites are in fact mixed race – or mestizo. The real problem, they say, is the gulf in attitude.

14:18

There’s a view here in Santa Cruz that people like to think that their personalities are shaped by geography. That those living in the harsh Andes mountains are viewed as tough, reserved, uncompromising -- the so-called old Bolivia.

14:35

While this is portrayed as the future – the lush tropical lowlands engendering a far more relaxed, extroverted and entrepreneurial spirit. Although it  has to be said that this free market economy is still very much under the control of a small privileged elite.

14:52

Tennis club

Music

15:09

The Tennis Club is the bastion of the city establishment. This is Carlos Rojas’ constituency. And they’re demanding political and economic autonomy from the “new Bolivia” of Evo Morales.

15:22

Last year in a referendum – Santa Cruz and three adjoining provinces voted for  autonomy – now they’re calling on Morales to deliver.

15:39

Bilbao at tennis club. Super: Ricardo Bilbao

Businessman

BILBAO:  I think autonomy is very important because that permits you allows you to really manage your own resources rather than send the money to the central government and then get it back – if you get it back.

LEONIDA:  Because so much money is coming into the country,

15:52

Leonida

they have said “Oh this is ours, lets take it because we want to divide Bolivia”. They want to divide Bolivia. They want people to have a passport to come to Santa Cruz.

16:10

Cane farm

Music

16:25

CORCORAN:  For the Cocaleros who live on small plots carved out of hillsides Carlos Rojas’ farm is the vision splendid. His sugar cane and soy properties employ 80 families - mainly highland Indian migrants. During the past half century, these vast plains of the Amazon basin around Santa Cruz were cleared for cultivation.

16:31

But now the Government wants some of it back – announcing a massive redistribution of 20 million hectares – one fifth of the entire country -- to be given to the peasants.

17:01

LEONIDA:  In Santa Cruz, there are whole families with 70,000 to 80,000 hectares of land.

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So they’re rich company owners, landholders.  They have huge extensions of land and they don’t want to share with those who have no land.

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The land that hasn’t been cultivated should be returned to the state, and the state will give land to those who don’t have it.

17:37

Carlos inspects farm

CORCORAN: The Government insists it will only take unproductive land. But Carlos Rojas says that definition is vague and fears many farms will be seized.

17:48

CORCORAN:  If the government of Evo Morales changes the policy here, gives the land away, what would happen

18:03

Carlos

to the jobs of these men?

CARLOS:  There’d be fewer jobs, crisis in the country, more delinquency, more unemployed. I think it’s dangerous for the unity of all Bolivians.

18:09

Farm workers

CORCORAN:   If it came to a confrontation here , which side would these men be on?

18:27

CARLOS:  What they look for is work - that’s the only way they can be sure of  feeding their family - just as I have to do for my family.

18:31

Archival. Cocaleros protest

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CORCORAN:  In December Carlos Rojas helped organise a rally demanding autonomy. What he didn’t count on was the opposition of Bolivia’s 200,000 strong Cocalero movement --  they blockaded the city to stop protesters reaching the rally. Both sides define this as a struggle between race and class. Yet in the street brawls the two sides were indistinguishable. It was mainly Santa Cruz’s Indian and mestizo migrants who took on the Cocaleros.

GONZALO CHAVEZ:  I think that the Cocaleros

18:50

Chavez.

are the group that are more close to Evo Morales is more important social movement that is behind Evo Morales are the Praetorian guard, if you want, to use a historical reference, the people that can fight in any time , in any place, defending Evo Morales.

19:33

Million person march downtown Santa Cruz

CORCORAN:  Carlos Rojas claims a million people eventually rallied for his cause. President Evo Morales vows that if national unity is threatened – next time it won’t be Cocaleros on the streets, but armed soldiers.

CORCORAN:  What happens

19:56

Carlos

if he sends in the army?

CARLOS:   I think it would be the biggest mistake. What I mean is, the people will take up arms, and you know that an army of 15,000 to 20,000 won’t be able to take on a million people. It would be the biggest mistake.

20:20

Leonida

LEONIDA:  It’s the leaders, those businessmen, it’s the rich, the landowners who don’t agree. Only 10% don’t agree with us and 90% are with the President. 

20:49

People on streets at night

CORCORAN:  Despite this growing belligerence – there’s still a belief that Bolivia can pull back from the brink.

GONZALO CHAVEZ:   I think that the Bolivians believe that

21:09

Chavez. Super: Gonzalo Chavez

Catholic University of Bolivia

even with all this speeches – very strong – with the language that’s sometime for people outside our country believe that – oh come on – these people are saying this the next step is a war. That’s not true – this is  the Latin American way to talk you know sometimes very strong – but at the end – we make pacts – at the end we can make a political and social pact – which is the history for the last one hundred years.

21:20

Leonida driving along jungle road to home

Leonida Zurita returns home after a lobbying mission to  Europe. Despite the obvious hardships, she clearly prefers these jungle trails – to the corridors of power.

21:49

Leonida visits mother in school room

She takes us to meet her 64 year old mother Damiana– who for the first time in her life, is sitting behind a school desk.

DAMIANA:  We’ve put all the names here.

LEONIDA: Now you’re not afraid to write!

DAMIANA: This is my writing.

LEONIDA: Write your name.

DAMIANA:  I can write my name - but your name, I don’t think so.

22:010

Adults in literacy program

Music

22:36

CORCORAN:  It’s a simple adult literacy program offering dignity and hope. This is what Leonida Zurita fights for. And with the Cocaleros now in power, all of Bolivia waits to see if her movement has also learned the political lesson of conciliation and compromise.

22:37

Music

23:02

Credits:

Reporter: Mark Corcoran

Camera: David Martin

Sound: David Verrecchia

Editor: Bryan Milliss

Research: Monica Machicao

Producer: Vivien Altman

23:07