Bolivian leader's sweater is an Internet hit (see military story, also)

[Judi Lynn]

Bolivian leader's sweater is an Internet hit
Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:56 PM GMT

LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) - Newly elected Bolivian President Evo Morales' striped sweater is making another world tour -- this time on the Internet.

La Paz-based online shop BoliviaMall.com said on Thursday customers in more than 20 countries have bought replicas of the alpaca sweater that shot to fame when Morales wore it on a tour this month to greet leaders including Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

"The people who are buying the sweater are sending messages saying they support us and 'Viva Bolivia'" said general manager Percy Prieto.

The firm has sold more than 200 of the blue, red and grey striped sweaters, mainly in Spain, at up to $49 (27 pounds) a piece, Prieto said.
(snip/...)

~~~~ link ~~~~

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Outrage over Morales' top military picks
Bypassed general: 'What are they doing to me?'

Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Posted: 2137 GMT (0537 HKT)



Bolivian Gen. Marco Antonio Vasquez reacts after being passed over for promotion.

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) -- President Evo Morales, vowing to fight corruption in the armed forces, replaced top military leaders Tuesday in a ceremony marred by shouts and scuffles as protesters claimed Morales had appointed unqualified commanders.

Morales' change of command was interpreted as a move to sideline military commanders suspected of complicity in a missile scandal.

But critics alleged that he elevated a lower-level general, Wilfredo Alfredo Vargas, who was unqualified to head the armed forces, and some officers were infuriated at being passed over.

"What are they doing to me?" shouted one of the bypassed generals. His daughter briefly interrupted the ceremony with shouts of "Unfair! Unfair!" The general was among several officers detained by palace security guards.
(snip/...)

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/01/24/morales.appointment.ap/

[Judi Lynn]

1. See an interesting Channel 4 interview with Evo Morales

at this link, lasting nearly 11 minutes. We really don't get any news of Bolivia on our own tv channels!

Bolivia's fight for autonomy

Published: 23 Jan 2006
By: Jonathan Rugman

Our Washington correspondent Jonathan Rugman interviewed the leader of Bolivia Evo Morales who says he is fighting for his country's business interests against those of the US.

>>Watch the report

The left-wing heir to Che Guevara and Fidel Castro is the first indigenous Indian to win the presidency in Bolivia - Latin America's poorest state.


He is already taking on the US and other western nations with business interests in his country.

In an exclusive interview with Channel 4 News, Evo Morales refuses to destroy Bolivia's coca crop and says he'll nationalise the gas industry.
(snip/...)

http://www.channel4.com/news/special-reports/special-reports-storypage.jsp?id=1580

[Straight Shooter]

2. More and more countries are defining themselves as being against the U.S.

Good for them. They've been trampled long enough. :thumbsup:

[NYC]

3. $145, made of alpaca.

[WhiteTara]

4. sales of his sweater could lift his country

from poverty alone.

[NYC]

6. What an unexpected benefit that would be.

Let's hope it does.

[CottonBear]

7. Nice sweater. Mr. CB would look nice in one of those.

I have an Alpaca swaeter. Very warm and handmade in South America.

[BrotherBuzz]

5. Cripes, it's going to 'hard work' to demonize a guy who wears a sweater

But the BFEE will be up to the task, no doubt.

[IndianaGreen]

8. I think that I will check the sweaters out

if nothing else, it will help the Bolivian textile workers.

We used to have a textile industry in America...

[shugah]

9. the stripes make him look fat

just kidding! i felt that the 'standard comment' regarding horizontal stripes needed to made ;-)