The semi-fascist right-wing in Bolivia is planning a coup to sabotage the socialist revolution of Evo Morales. The country is on the brink of Civil War and if the right-wing prevails the peoples of Bolivia, especially the indigenous population, will continue to suffer oppression and exploitation by the small and corrupt ruling class.

At present in Santa Cruz, 15 families control half a million hectares of land. For the peasants working on these landholdings conditions have been the same for 200 years. At least 500 families live in serfdom, tied to the land and the landlord. More than 8,000 children, between the ages of 5 to 14, work on sugar plantations without receiving wages nor education and health services.

Part of the constitutional referendum proposed by Evo Morales is to limit the size of the landed estates to 5,000 or 10,000 hectares and to give autonomy to the indigenous people.

At the end of February this year the Vice Minister of Land, the director of the institute of Land Reform and the leader of the Guaranн people were amongst a group whose vehicles were shot at on their way to visit a series of families held in slavery by a local landowner in the Cordillera region of Santa Cruz. They were held at gunpoint, 53 people were wounded and several people have been reported missing by government sources.

These incidents are not exceptional. The landowners employ paramilitary forces to protect their holdings and to expand their lands illegally, evicting indigenous groups and subsistence farmers.

The Comitй Pro-Santa Cruz, the campaigning organisation for autonomy for the East, is made up of the main business organisations in the department. Together with the Juventud Crucenista and several semi-fascist organisations, they are terrorising anyone who dares to challenge their authority. The houses of local trade union leaders have been fire-bombed and pro-MAS demonstrations are attacked by thugs.

We sign this online petition to support the continued socialist transformation of Bolivia which will benefit the vast majority of the population. We completely oppose the semi-fascist ploy to illegally sabotage Bolivia through violence and terrorism. We are calling the international community and the peoples of the world to support the cause of the people of Bolivia and the socialist government of Evo Morales.