¡Ahora es cuando!

Now is when!

Thats the slogan of the Movimento al Socialismo (MAS), the party whose candidate, Evo Morales, currently leads the polls for Presdiency.

With the approaching elections on Sunday, Evo seems to be edging ahead in the polls, he has 34%, whereas the nearest condender, Tuto Quiroga has 27%. However he must get 51% to win outright, otherwise the Congress decides who takes the seat in La Paz or a coalition of right parties will win.

Last night I went to the MAS closing rally at the stadium here in Cochabamba. I have never been to anything like it. As we arrived the stadium was full, all you could see where blue and black flags (the offical MAS colours) and the Wipala (the colourful Andean flag). Thousands of people were chanting "Sestente Sestente Evo Presidente", and cheering as candidates made a lap of honor around the stadium. There was traditional music, all using the slogan "somas mas" " we are more". They even set a white dove free and as it flee around the stadium to cheers of hope.

At 7.30pm Jorge Alvero, the MAS candidate for Prefecturo, made an incredible, powerful speech in Quechua (obviously I didnt understand it, but I felt the power of it). The stadium errupted, but unfortunately so did the sky. The clouds opened up and it started raining, with a lightening storm over head it didnt deter the crowds who were waiting for the man of the hour-Evo Morales.

Alvaro Garcia Linera, the Vice-President candiate was next. He is a sociologist, interlectual and a man who spent 5 years in jail under the dictatorships for his political beliefs. He is well respected among many and a powerful orator. He told the crowd that this is a historic moment. That never in the history of Latin America had an idigenous President been elected, that the hope of indigenous from around the continent lay in the vote on Sunday. He said that the power of the social movements in Bolivia, that are the inspiration to people all over the world, is the nightmare of the United States. He said, as his voice was cracking, that he was happy, that MAS were ready to govern and that now is the time to end 550 years of discrimination and imperialism. I was extremely impressed with his speech, it felt like victory.

Evo Morales was not as well spoken and he spent alot of time talking about the lies that other candidates had said about it. But this is a man whose family lost the jobs when the mines closed in the 70s and went to the Chapare to start a Coca farm. Who at one stage of his life suffered extreme poverty, with no food for his family. He was the leader of the Cocalarios during the 80s, he was shot and spent time in jail because of his activities. He is a man of the people, he knows what its like to suffer and to fight. He isnt an educated man in the traditional sense, but he was educated in the pueblo, he knows what the people of Bolivia need and want. He said, the Bolivian people are fighters and now is the time to win the fight.

MAS have many issues, however, there is no choice at the moment, Evo has to become President.

Friends from Central and Latin America yesterday, remarked to me that this is just like Guatmala in the 60s or Chile in 1973. That the feeling of hope among the people, and the fear of the US and the multinationals of an indigenous president collide. Some of them fear a coup, fear that the US government will intervene, like they have always have. Standing in the stadium talking about Chile 1973, a shiver ran down my spine. The staduim in Santiago was used as a torture chamber when Pinochet took power, I thought of how easy it would be for the military and the right to come in and cause havoc.

However this is 2005, the US have changed their tactics some. They have other ways of intervening now. I am hopeful of a new Bolivia and of a new world. If MAS wins, the face of Latin America will change and it will only be for the better.