Growing Support for Bolivian President

Following his announcement to nationalize Bolivian oil, Evo Morales' approval rating has grown to 81 percent among Bolivians (See Article). The Bolivian president's success marks a growing trend in Latin America set by the influential Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. The increasing strength of the left may cause US policy makers to worry. Most noteably, the economic cooperation among Moralez, Chavez and Castro to rival NAFTA poses many concerns for those with interests vested in the oil industry. Possibly in response to Bolivia's abandonment of Occidental oil, a large US-based company, and its newfound alliance with the controversial Chavez, President Bush said that he was "concerned about the erosion of democracy" in the country (See Article). Along with Ecuador's recent rejection of Occidental's contract, it will be interesting to see how the US responds to this growing economic defiance.