Evo Morales will arrive in Madrid on Sunday 13 September on an official visit. On the same day, at 5pm, at the Cubierta de Leganés, the recently formed Evo Welcoming Committee has organised a meeting between the “Hero of Mother Earth”, as the United Nations named him last month, and thousands of people of different origins. It is an event which will show the Bolivian leader the support that the Process which he leads has within Spanish society and among a good part of the Latin American immigrants.
While certain sectors insist on showing a corrupt and radicalised image of the President and the Bolivian Process, progressive sectors value his leadership as an example to follow and want to demonstrate it to him during this event. The recognition of his trajectory is based on his personal consistency, in the defence of native peoples; in his work for immigrant rights, in his tireless struggle in favour of the most disadvantaged and all this “within a democratic, pacific and humanist process”, as it says on the posters advertising the event.
In 2007, the Support Committee for Evo Morales’ candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize in Spain was made up of different humanist organisations. Other left-wing organisations swiftly joined this Committee and this gave way to support platforms for the MAS (Movement for Socialism) Process which Evo leads.
This event is the start of Morales’ tight schedule in Madrid. Besides meetings with the King and President Zapatero, Evo will give a guest speech at the Complutense University and will meet with Spanish business people. The Bolivian leader seeks to clarify any doubts regarding the Bolivian Process and to reach agreements in new economic sectors with this visit.
*(Translation provided by Rhona Desmond)*
