Mass Indigenous-led Rebellion Forces Bolivian President to Resign

The indigenous-led rebellion in Latin America"s poorest country, Bolivia, has taken a dramatic turn. After weeks of massive protest that have crippled large sections of the country, President Carlos Mesa appeared on national television and told the country he was stepping down. As he spoke, tens of thousands of protesters remained in the streets of the capital la Paz.

* Bolivian President Carlos Mesa

Bolivian President Carlos Mesa, speaking last night on national television. This is not the first time that Mesa has offered to resign. In early May, as the protests against his government intensified, Mesa submitted his resignation to the Congress but it was refused in what many saw as a public show. This time, analysts say, that is not the case.

Earlier in the day, Mesa had to be evacuated from the presidential compound after the crowds in the streets swelled so large that there was a real threat the demonstrators could storm the building. A few hours later, Mesa returned to the building under heavy military escort and prepared to deliver his address to the country.

While much of the news reporting on Bolivia has interpreted the massive demonstrations as protests calling for the nationalization of the country's natural gas resources, that is just one part of the much bigger picture. The country is more than 2/3 indigenous. These communities are calling for what they call a "nationalization of the government," a total overhaul of Bolivia's system and true representation of the communities that constitute a majority of the country.

Late last night, one of the best-known Bolivian opposition figures, the socialist Congressmember Evo Morales held a news conference.

* Congressmember Evo Morales

Among the demands Morales laid out were for Carlos Mesa's presidency to be immediately ended. He also called on the leaders of the Bolivian Senate and House to waive their rights to succeed Mesa. Morales, instead, called on the President of Bolivia"s Supreme Court to organize elections. Morales said it was the only way out of the crisis.

We go now to Cochabamba, where we are joined on the line by longtime Bolivia activist Jim Shultz. He runs an organization called the Democracy Center and writes a blog that can be found at DemocracyCtr.org. He is also author of a new book called "Deadly Consequences: The International Monetary Fund and Bolivia"s Black February."

* Jim Shultz, Executive Director of the Democracy Center in Cochabama, Bolivia. He writes a blog on the situation in Bolivia that can be found at DemocracyCtr.org.

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