BOLIVIA HITS ROCK BOTTOM…but is all not lost?
To be honest, this 2021 could not have begun any worse, full of disasters. First, water from the skies –a God given gift- is destroying everything in its way. Entire neighborhoods in Sucre, La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba are being victims of ruthless floods. That not being enough, our country is going through that second wave…nope, not of life….COVID, but to tell the truth this is not as bad as it seems, what really is heartbreaking is that now is out of control. Just when one think it is over, you see bad news again “PLASMA NEEDED”. Next in line of disasters: EDUCATION, nearly 2 million children in school age, are living in standby. Why? Because not everything is said about how will education will be focused. Fourth, our economy…yes, better not to talk about that. And last, but not least, our government’s apathy before the breakdown of our health system. Damn, it could not have reached a higher summit, Bolivia has the best president of all, and has become famous around the world. Our dear Arce Catacora said ““hoy toca aguantar y resistir el coronavirus”-.In otherwords: “Just deal with it (COVID)”.
Although this pandemic had its religious touch – our the quarantine lasted 40 days and 40 nights- it had its dreadful effects on health and education, but not as much as the TRUE BONA FIDE Bolivian crisis. As a matter of fact, it had its vexing clashes. Let’s see why.
ECONOMIC MIRACLE, seriously? I don´t think so
Where should we start? In 2013, Bolivia closed this year with a miraculous economic growth of 6,5%. Well, this datum was the specto patronum used in the marketing scheme of the lefties…purpose: position the greatest lies of all: a Bolivian Economic Miracle. It was successful.
But with gain there is pain. To give a strong opinion about the information of this government was considered high treason and racism. Remember, Evo Morales, has and indigineous background (bigotry is a stigma none wants to bear).
To tell the truth, this economic prodigy is only the addition of three bubbles, mastefully described by Mauricio Ríos García.
Bubble number one: Bolivian State becomes the all mighty in the oil industry, including its production chain. Just as King Louis XIV rule, all the monetary income from exportation and ludicrous high prices were gulped by the state. Unfortunately, this was the result of the U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE, you are not mistaken, you read correctly. Since mother America reduced the interest rates besides other measures taken by the central government.
Since this is a serious article, I will try to leave sarcasm aside. So, the Federal Reserver created a “what you see is not what you get”, there is this delusional richness. In comparison to other countries, the U.S.A. is so powerful that, in my humble opinion, it is the only one that has the potential to export its inflation to other nations, as well as its abundance. That is why literally, the entire world began progressive projects, per se, but not fitting ones, something like Xanadu –great idyllic magnificence- since all inquiries were being made in the American dollar.
Hard to believe right? But it is true. The XXI Socialist governments, better yet, rulers, obtained a vicious quota in American dollars, unimaginable quantities given by their infamous Uncle Tom.
Bubble number two: Morales’s rule used credits as bait in order to obtain votes. Consequently, August 21st, 2013 the Law 393 of Financial Services was issued. Its target: regulate the activity of financial entities (stating it in simple words: a legal bullying due to the lethal arrogance endured by all socialists).
After the issuing of this law, credit rose 25%. The new “money” was invested in brand new cars, apartments, and successful entrepreneurship. The catch to this last agent? Their clients: politicians who are in government, juicy earnings, hence sublime growth. But such brightness blinds reasoning. No questions were asked about this buoyed up growth, or if it was just an artificial incentive that could burst any moment.
Bubble three: The entrepreneurs, had faith in the economy, so they undertook investments highly risky to the naked eye, but where smart enough to seek strategic partner: the State. A clear example, the ODESUR 2018 sports games (successful it was since it permeated Cochabamba with white elephants). But, since all that shines is not gold, those projects had hardly any demand in the market. Thus, being unprofittalbe and and only meant a bad allocation of capital.
It is not COVID, it’s the SYSTEM
Along with the economy, our health system confronts too, a true problem: COVID. Instead of having numbers lowering down, it did otherwise. Let’s analyze it from a historical point of view: In 2011, Bolivia actually earned its place in the public health rank. Let me explain, there is this consulting firm named Bloomberg, it makes thorough studies in this area, and us –Bolivia- worked hard to earn a wonderful place: 95 (out of 143 countries around the world). This study concluded that Bolivia is the worst nation in South America in public health system. How about that?
According to the Ministry of Health, each year 11 thousand new cases of cancer appear, of which 7,500 affect women. The high cost of the treatments, the lack of specialists and oncology centers is a sample of the drama of public health that cancer patients endure in Bolivia. But this nightmare has an endless story, hand by hand comes unemployment and poverty. I mention these two only, because I don’t want it to become a nightmare.
Keeping on with cancer, there are also those patients who are affected either by the lack of alternatives for their cure or by not being able to access them due to their economic condition. So, it is only logical to say that if we are not prepared for this, then it should not be of surprise to any that a second wave of COVID is rising in numbers, inflating hospitals and terrifying as well as killing our only heroes: doctors.
But, truth to be told, our czars care very little. As long as the rulers have access to clinics abroad, or that Evo Morales is receiving treatment in one of the most expensive sanatoriums in Cochabamba, they just overlook this “unexistent virus sent by the imperialism to exterminate Evo”.
If we look into history, we should all know by now that despotic socialists will always act like this, with hatred, turning the blind eye, ignorance, and more.
In addition, to the terrible supply of health services by the State, we must add the excessive regulations and the heavy tax burden suffered by businessmen in the health area. In fact, any entrepreneur -regardless of the field- goes through Dante’s Inferno. But in the book there is only nine, in fiscal and bureaucratic system, the nine levels are just a step away from paradise. So you can only imagine.
So, if you my reader want to invest in Bolivia, you must know that investing in Bolivia is not only going through hell and back, but your psychological and emotional health will be lost as well. The answer to your question is “Yes, your investment will not have revenues”.
To make your life even sadder, I must inform you that the state monopoly on health has also become a source of corruption. Let me remind you of the respirators in the government of Jeanine Añez or vaccines in the administration of Arce Catacora –overpricing-. That is why the Santa Cruz medical college has a glorifying proposal of free importation of vaccines against COVID (XANADU all over again).
The Minister of Education acknowledges the failure of central planning of education.
Resolution 001/2021 of the Ministry of Education proposes that the directors of the educational units are the ones that should define the modality (face-to-face, blended, or distance) that will be applied in each educational establishment, according to the contagion scenarios of Covid-19 that occurs in their area. When the media broke this news, many parents and teachers ate their hearts out. Since the State was shedding its most important task. But I see things differently.
What the Ministry of Education should do is recognize that it is impossible to plan education from its offices in La Paz. This would be an advance for all of us who fight for greater educational freedom. For it will give us one more instrument to prove the failure of this statute.
For example, in 2014, the former Vice Minister of Education, Noel Aguirre stated the following: «In the country, 95 out of every 100 inhabitants do not have the habit of reading, it is difficult for them to read.» Additionally, we must clarify that state education is nothing more than indoctrination and a tool for social control.
The economist Ludwig von Mises highlights the political character of the statist educational system: “It cannot be deprived of its political character as long as it is a public and compulsory institution. In fact, there is only one solution: the State, the government, the laws must not intervene in any way in instruction or education. Public funds should not be used for these purposes.
Our youth education must be left entirely to the parents and to private associations and institutions. This means freeing oneself from the State that claims to exercise a right of dominion over the minds, souls and bodies of children and young people. Taking away parental authority and power, to assume bureaucratic tutelage, consolidating the nefarious paternalistic state. And to sum it all up we yell: “Do not interfere with my children!”.
Conclusions
First, politicians try to control the economy, education, and healthcare. Their goal: control us. The poorer, the more ignorant, the more dependent, the better for them…typical abuse. Two, we need better parents, not more politicians. We need to be loyal to our families, not to the state. We need to build character and discipline in our children, not entrust their lives to a public educational system that kills their spirit and fills them with the latest immoral fad. Fatherhood is irreplaceable. And three, we must build strong families, safe communities, free economy.
