President's Resignation
BY: NATALIA #1 New York Times Best Seller
For my mom and all my family who went through this hard moment and want the truth to be known...
Table of Contents - Dedication: page 2 - Table of Contents: page 3 - Historical Narrative packet: pages 4 - 7 - Details: page 8 - Notes: pages 9 - 10 - Historical Narrative story: pages 11 - 15 - Afterword: pages 16 - 18 - About the Author: page 19 - Bibliography: page 20
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" he city was falling apart. The streets and highways were blocked by the most indigenous people, and neither food or any other products entered the city. How did it start? Well, it all started because just before presidential elections, the current president in Bolivia wanted to export gas from the country to Mexico and the U.S. The way it was going to get there was by Chile’s coast. It was a great idea and it would beneficiate the country a lot! Every time I thought about it, it would make me smile of just thinking that finally Bolivia’s economy would have a great lift. Other parts of the world would know more about Bolivia… Unfortunately, one of the president candidates took advantage of Bolivia’s history with Chile, and reminded indigenous people about it. People should know the truth of this story! They should know what no mouths said, what no news showed, what no one wants to hear or be reminded of. I want people to read true words and see with their own eyes the reality of our chaotic history.
People being reminded about the War of the Pacific, and being convinced into not wanting to export gas using Chile’s territory started to get angry at Bolivia’s president because of his decision. After some time they blocked the streets, preventing the food and other products to come into the city. People couldn’t go in or out of the city, because everyone was scared of the situation.
Things started to get disastrous afterwards. There were indigenous people in the street ready to defend their ideas. Every time you would look at one of them in their eyes, you could see how bloody their expression was. They fought without thinking, as if they weren’t humans. Fire in their eyes, a will to fight. The news were full of cases in which indigenous people would break into someone’s house and about police and other normal citizens being killed. Indigenous people would break into other people’s houses to get food and water. Two different realities that made my eyes water as if I was seeing my city die.
It was irrational for me what was going on, I didn’t understand what they were protesting about. Exporting gas would be so great for Bolivia’s economy! How could someone made their minds change negatively?How could someone influence a whole group of citizens’ minds? People knew better, but they decided to choose wrong and not help the country. Since more than two weeks had gone by with the principal highways blocked and no goods, family members would tell us (my husband and I) where we could get food and other goods you need in your day to day life. Bad thoughts in my mind, imagining the worst that could happen, seeing the reality, I didn’t know what would happen next… Would my husband come home safely? Will we get enough food? Are we even safe here?
At that time you were about to be born, and I was really worried of your safety. If you were able to get food, you had to be careful on the way home because the indigenous people who were blocking the streets would rob you and take away your groceries. This thoughts made me shiver, every time I thought about what was REALLY going on, my body got warm of the anger and disappointment of all the people who were making the situation worst. There were two parts of the story. Even though indigenous people broke into other people’s houses violently, they had to get food and water. But what no one talked about was the reality of the scene. Police officers often would kill innocent people using the excuse that they broke into their houses. There were also the cases in which indigenous people killed innocent citizens. Those nightmares had to stop.
But unluckily, no one really knew about it. Why? Because news were not allowed to talk about it, and if a group would communicate the actual news then after some days they would disappear. The time it all came into my mind and realized what was really happening, was the day my brother’s friend was killed. My eyes opened to reality, opening a cruel and sad story about the country I am from.
Days had gone by and no through my veins. No sign of the government government, city falling helping the situation. It was apart, people dead, what the 17th of October, the could be worst? happiest day of my life! You were born, and the moment I After the president left saw you I knew you would things started getting have a good future. Hours better, the city was slowly later of your birth, I saw a coming together again. My helicopter flying close to the eyes filled with tears hospital. What was going on? watching how many Did something bad happen? people had lost someone, After seeing the helicopter and how there was no depart in front of my eyes, I more La Paz . People lost turned on the room T.V. and business, lost money. The saw the news. My only protestants who wanted thought was “Oh no”. the president to leave finally left the city and left The president had left, a the peace be born again in whole country behind. Of La Paz . But the other course no one could blame people didn’t know what him, he was forced to leave. to do, they also probably After seeing the news I was had the same feeling. fidgeting, desperate to know Disappointment. How more about why had the could he leave the whole president left. It turns out country? He should had that he had resigned that stayed to fix thing up! But exact same day, and fled to there was nothing left to the U.S. be done, no one could go My body started to get get the president back. But warmer, probably at least now peace was disappointment was going ruling and not war. through my veins.
After one to two years we left the country and headed to Mexico. I will always remember what happened at that time. Looking back, I have to admit that is not a pretty story, but I want people to know the truth, and to know the actual facts, so they know about Bolivia’s story and what really happened!
Afterword! In 2002 Gonzalo de Lozada won presidential elections. His time as a president didn’t last long though because in 2003 president Gonzalo De Lozada was forced to resign due to violent protests. These protest were led by indigenous people who were against the president’s decision about exporting gas through Chile’s territory to the U.S. and Mexico. People were against this decision because another president candidate reminded all the indigenous people about the The War of the Pacific, a tragic part of Bolivia’s history.
Bolivia, Peru, and Chile participated in The War of the Pacific. In 1873 Peru secretly agreed to help Bolivia in war. The three countries were fighting for a territory which was the Atacama desert. Bolivia lost and Chile won.
Because of these war and this candidate influence, a whole group of citizens started to protest about the decision of exporting gas through Chile. This group started protesting and going to La Paz, were all the government was. They started to break in other people’s houses for food, and the owners something started shooting them. Military and police defended the government, meaning that if anybody who tried to break in where the president was would get killed. Many innocent people died in this bloody time.
About 74 people were killed in a month of protest. Many people lost business and money. After president Gonzalo de Lozada resigned and fled to the U.S., there were presidential elections in which Evo Morales won democratically, and has been president since then. He is the country’s first indigenous president, therefor this has gained attention from all over the world.
About the Author
I am a 13 year old girl in 7th grade. I was born in Bolivia on October 17th, 2003. When I was 2 years old I moved to Mexico. After living 7 years in Mexico I moved to Italy where I lived 3 years until I had to move to Peru. When I was 12 years old I moved to Istanbul, in Turkey where I wrote this story. I am currently studying in Istanbul International Community School. I love reading and writing! I am now very inspired to know about my home country's history!
Bibliography !
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