Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Kirsten Francescone, Dan Kovalik, Janine Bandcroft October 29, 2020

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition, recorded live-to-tape via Skype on this date, October 26th, 2020.

There is jubilation in Bolivia, as the people’s representatives are again in power following the removal by force of arms last year of president Evo Morales’ MAS party. The party’s new iteration, under the leadership of Luis Arces, won an even larger majority than last time, sweeping away the coup perpetrators. Canada was among the first countries in 2019 to confer legitimacy on the coup, and following its lead Canada-registered mining company Orvana Minerals used the opportunity the extreme-right political shift presented to undo labour agreements already signed and sack its unionized workers.

Kirsten Francescone is the Latin America Program Coordinator at MiningWatch Canada. Kirsten lived and worked in Bolivia for five years prior to commencing her PhD in Anthropology and Political Economy at Carleton University.

Kirsten Francescone in the first half.

And; while the landslide election victory of Evo Morales’ MAS party was and is cause for elation throughout Bolivia and the Americas for those long-suffering under the heel of El Norte, Luis Arces’ supporters can be forgiven if their celebrations are tempered with caution, considering what happened the last time it won elections there.

Dan Kovalik is a lawyer, educator, labour, peace, and justice activist, democracy defender, journalist and author. He’s also a recipient of the David W. Mills Mentoring Fellowship from Stanford Law School, a frequent lecturer, oft sought television and radio political commentator, and his articles appear online at the Huffington Post and Counterpunch, among other places. His latest book is, ‘No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using ‘Humanitarian’ Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests‘.

Dan Kovalik and Bolivia’s second chance in the second half.

And; CFUV Radio broadcaster and host of Plant Powered Radio, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things to be gotten up to in and around our town in the coming week.

But first, Kirsten Francescone and following the foreign corporate/government power nexus in Bolivia.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: https://cfuv.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Dan Kovalik, Janine Bandcroft October 23, 2020

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s Home Edition, recorded live-to-tape via Skype on this date, October 21st, 2020.

Sunday’s landslide election victory of Evo Morales’ MAS party was and is cause for elation throughout Bolivia and the Americas this week; at least for those long-suffering under the heel of El Norte. But Luis Arces’ supporters can be forgiven if their celebrations are tempered with caution, considering what happened the last time a leftist government won elections there.

Daniel Kovalik is a lawyer, educator, labour, peace, and justice activist, democracy defender, journalist and author. A labor and human rights lawyer since graduating from Columbia Law School, Dan has represented plaintiffs in Alien Tort Statute cases arising from human rights abuses in Colombia. He’s also a recipient of the David W. Mills Mentoring Fellowship from Stanford Law School, frequent lecturer, television and radio political commentator, and his articles appear online at the Huffington Post and Counterpunch, among other places.

His latest book is, ‘No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using ‘Humanitarian‘ Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests’.

Today, Dan Kovalik and Bolivia’s second chance.

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Yves Engler August 7, 2020

Welcome back to Gorilla Radio’s continuing efforts, NOT broadcast live from CFUV Radio in the basement of the Student Union Building at the University of Victoria, but emanating live-to-tape via Skype from our home-based … studios on this date, August 7th, 2020.

Bolivians reacted to news the September 6th general election is off by taking to the streets and declaring a General Strike. It’s a dangerous move, considering interim caretaker president, Janine Anez has shown little hesitation, or contrition, loosing the military and police to lethal effect on perceived enemies of her nine-month old coup regime. But then Anez can afford to be unrepentant about the lives lost through both her jack-boot political sensibilities and tragically incompetent mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, because no-one is holding her responsible. Neither the Organization of American States as a body, nor its northernmost members the United States and Canada seem concerned about the destruction of Bolivian democracy, let alone over the fate of those crushed underfoot in the process. In fact, in Canada’s case, it’s a welcome development.

Yves Engler is a Montréal-based activist, essayist, and author whose articles appear at The Palestine Chronicle, Pacific Free Press, and at his site, YvesEngler.com among other places. The latest of Engler’s eleven books, ‘HOU$E of MIRRORS: Justin Trudeau’s Foreign Policy‘ questions the Liberals’ progressive pretense, while challenging the persistent national delusion that Canadians are “a benevolent force in the world”. His recent article, ‘Canada’s Support for Bolivian Coup Deserves Closer Scrutiny’ appears at Ricochet.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/