Bolivian opposition will not attend inauguration of new legislative headquarters

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The main opposition party in the Bolivian Parliament, Comunidad Ciudadana (CC), of former president Carlos Mesa, decided not to participate in the inauguration of the new national Legislative headquarters in La Paz, considering it “a waste” of the government in the face of the deficiencies of the health system.

The CC senators and deputies will not attend the event, scheduled for this Monday, “as an act of repudiation to the policy of waste and squandering of public resources, which are an affront to the precariousness of the health system and the growing poverty of Bolivians,” according to a communiqué issued this Sunday by this opposition force.

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The opponents recalled that the new building demanded an expenditure equivalent to about US$73.1 million. Another US$40.2 million was added in the Government House inaugurated by Evo Morales in 2018, money used “to satisfy the megalomania” of the former president, the statement said.

“These multi-million expenses are an affront to a country that, in the pandemic, showed the absolute precariousness of its health system, which even today has a deficit of more than 100 hospitals to cover the minimum international standards,” denounced the parliamentarians.

CC assured that the investments in “gigantic works that celebrate luxury and sumptuousness for the benefit of the ruling political class” are added to the “squandering” of resources in projects “without any benefit,” among which they mentioned the museum dedicated to the life and political process of Morales.

Mesa’s party accused the governmental Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) of Morales and the current president, Luis Arce, of “squandering” resources instead of attending to “the real needs of the people”.

The CC senators and deputies expressed their respect for the role of the Parliament and for the work of the legislators “who never needed luxury and pomp” to work. They assured that they are unwilling “to celebrate or cover up this show of irresponsibility and squandering that characterizes the MAS governments.”

CREEMOS WILL NOT ATTEND EITHER

The parliamentarians of Creemos, the party of the governor of the eastern region of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, announced that they would not attend the event either, considering that their legislative work is restricted by the ruling party’s majority.

“We have nothing to celebrate with the inauguration of the Assembly because we are restricted in our rights and legislative functions, and we are not allowed to have participation and incidence in the laws that are approved”, said Senator Centa Rek.

According to Rek, the approved bills are sent from the Executive “to increase the violation of citizens’ rights” without the official parliamentarians accepting any change.

The new building of the Bolivian Parliament began to be built in 2015 on an area of 44,000 square meters, located behind the old Legislative Palace in La Paz. The structure has 25 floors, is anti-seismic, and in different environments, it bears symbols of the indigenous peoples recognized in the Bolivian Constitution.

The ruling party argues that the new building will save on various rents that were paid until now. The president of the Chamber of Deputies, the pro-government Freddy Mamani Laura, assured on Friday that the building will be the “icon” of a new “era” in which the 36 indigenous peoples of the country will be represented and that it will put an end to a colonialist and “discriminatory” stage.

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