For one month, the people of Bolivia lived without federal government authority. To their cultural credit, there were no riots, people shared food and critical services, and Bolivian society functioned as a family caring for each other.
Bolivians dreamed of unity in freedom.
In 2019, Jeanine Áñez was serving honorably in her second senatorial term. She was elected to the Senate as a member of the Plan Progress for Bolivia-National Convergence party. This party stood for certain principles of free trade opposed by the socialist party. Following the disputed 2019 general elections, Senator Áñez was recruited as a compromise candidate to hold the office of President until new elections could be conducted. At first, she was reluctant but finally agreed to serve. She was then confirmed as interim President by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly and Plurinational Constitutional Court.
Evo Morales had led Bolivia for thirteen years as an avowed socialist. He had moved with dictatorial determination to restructure Bolivia as a socialist state. His appointees permeated government down to the city level. Jeanine Áñez inherited a country in economic crisis and political tumult.
Early in 2020, I was invited as part of a delegation to meet with President Áñez to offer her advice on economic restructuring. I was impressed with her demeanor. She was relaxed and not anxious. She cited her faith in God as critical to her personal peace in facing the ever present pressures of the job.
There was more fear in the eyes of her staff than in the eyes of the President. I have worked in communist countries in the past. I had forgotten the political price of losing power in a country which does not embrace the protection of constitutional due process.
Later that day at a private reception, President Áñez pulled me aside privately. I had no idea what her personal request might entail. She could have asked me for direct access to elected officials in the United States. She could have sought political cover from our State Department. She could have asked for personal resources to support her agenda. Instead, she asked for the most unselfish principled help. Prior to Morales’ rule, Santa Cruz, the largest city, and La Paz, the capital city, had operated as a joint free trade zone to promote free enterprise. Morales had dismantled the zone. If she were elected permanent President, she simply was desirous of helping her country economically through freedom of choice. The request was, would I come back and help her reestablish the trade zone to provide freedom economically in Bolivia.
Her determination to help her country, in spite of overwhelming political odds and personal political risk, was more than impressive. It was patriotically refreshing. I knew then why they recruited her to be the interim President.
I was honored to answer in the affirmative. Thirty days later, COVID shut in the entire world. Bolivia was left to face the international assault of socialism on its own.
In the world, in Bolivia, and in America, there is a “cancel culture” movement that is most dangerous. If you dare to disagree with a progressive agenda, you are labeled a racist, misogynist bigot or an oppressor. The ideology of critical theory is embedded in the foundations of Marxism. The concept is that, all in power are corrupt and enjoy power through undeserved privilege. By this theory, people are encouraged to rise up and rebel, without consideration for replacement ideology.
The political dialog in the United States has now subdivided into critical race theory and critical gender theory. “Woke progressivism” now finds itself in conflict with critical feminism theory as incompatible with the LGBTQ movement. Any discourse or debate questioning the absolute purity of truism of these theories is met with outrage. There is no room for discussion.
“Cancel culture” is morphing into Bolivian critical theory. Not only can you not advance an alternative opinion if you have a differing viewpoint, you must be eliminated. That is what is happening to Jeanine Áñez today.
The danger in America is that progressives feel the same right of censorship. Recently, the JW Marriott corporation was attacked politically for having the audacity to host the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Orlando, Florida. CPAC has been around for forty-eight years as a mainstream voice of conservatism. JW Marriott pushed back stating that they exist to serve all legal entities peacefully discussing ideas. They were successful this time. What about in the future?
Evo Morales fled his country, forced out by his own actions. Jeanine Áñez had nothing to do with it. Morales is now back in Bolivia rehabilitated to advocate the economic policies of Venezuela. Venezuela is a failed state. Everyone knows it. The Movement for Socialism party (MAS) fears Jeanine Áñez as a leader who will portray the truth. Truth always is a beacon of light. Áñez is not their primary threat. Their primary threat is that the lie of socialism will be exposed to the people.
Truth must be stifled for a lie to promulgate.
Jeanine Áñez is now under detention arrest for four months. She is being held without arraignment while the government investigates charges to be brought. In the United States, one is not charged until there is evidence of a crime.
Once upon a time in Bolivia, there was a dream envisioning freedom. That dream is now facing the dark peril of uncompromising, universally oppressive critical theory.
May the tragedy of Bolivia never be the Shakespearean theme of once upon a time in America.
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.
What do you believe?