Skip to content
June 26, 2022
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

From Venezuela and made by Venezuelan Chavistas

Primary Menu
  • News
  • Opinion
  • About us
    • About us
    • Who we are – Becoming a Volunteer
    • Editorial guidelines for contributors
    • Our Sources
      • Venezuelan Sources
      • International Sources
    • Contact us
  • Categories
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Security and Defense
    • International
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Oceania
      • US/Canada
    • Latin America and ALBA-TCP
      • South America
      • Central America and the Caribbean (+Mexico)
    • Ideology-Commune-Labor
    • Health-Education-Sport-Culture-Technology
    • Solidarity and Social Movements
    • OT Originals
  • Support Us
    • Tax Deductible Donations: AfGJ Fiscal Sponsorship Program
    • Patreon (recurrent donations)
    • PayPal and Credit Cards
Light/Dark Button
YouTube Channel
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • After Bolivia, Elon Musk Says Capitalists can Overthrow any Government They Want
  • International
  • Opinion

After Bolivia, Elon Musk Says Capitalists can Overthrow any Government They Want

July 29, 2020

By Steve Sweeney – Jul 27, 2020

Billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk has come under fire after welcoming last year’s overthrow of Bolivian president Evo Morales in what was seen as a bid to obtain the country’s lithium reserves.

In response to a tweet on Saturday that accused the U.S. government of forcing Morales out, allowing Musk to access Bolivian resources, he wrote: “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.”

Musk had tweeted his opposition to the possibility of a new coronavirus economic stimulus package from the U.S. government, saying it was “not in the interests of the people.” Another Twitter user responded that the U.S.-backed coup against Bolivia to get the county’s lithium was something that was actually against the people’s interest. That prompted Musk’s angry retort that “we,” presumably meaning the U.S. capitalist class, would overthrow anyone they wanted.

Hundreds of Bolivia’s Indigenous population were massacred following what was branded “a fascist coup” against Morales, who is currently in exile in Argentina.

RELATED CONTENT: “We Will Coup Whoever we Want”: Elon Musk Sparks Online Riot With Quip About Overthrow of Bolivia’s Evo Morales

Bolivia has between 25% and 45% of the world’s known lithium reserves, an estimated 21 tons, most of which is in the Salar de Uyuni salt flat.

Lithium is a crucial component of the batteries used in Tesla vehicles and other electric cars, as well as computers, smartphones, and other equipment, and its value is set to skyrocket as sales of such vehicles increase.

According to the current Bolivian constitution, lithium can only be extracted and processed by Bolivians, but privateers are continuing to press for access to the country’s vast resources.

Efforts to obtain access to the precious metal, led by transnational mining companies based in the United States, Canada, South Korea, and elsewhere, had failed prior to the ousting of Morales.

The former president had instead struck deals with Chinese and Russian companies that would benefit Bolivia’s Indigenous population. Morales branded the coup an “act of revenge by the United States, which never accepted the loss of control of the Bolivian lithium market in favor of Chinese and German companies.”

RELATED CONTENT: “The Postcoup Government Is the Best Campaign Manager MAS Could Have Hoped For”

Washington was particularly angry at Bolivia’s plans to develop lithium production with China. The total value of trade deals between the two countries grew from $75 million to $2.25 billion between 2000 and 2014.

The coup administration led by Jeanine Añez immediately announced plans to invite transnationals, including Tesla, to exploit Bolivia’s lithium reserves. A letter to Musk from Foreign Minister Karen Longaric, dated March 31, said: “Any co-operation that you or your company can provide to our country will be gratefully welcomed.”

Bolivian President Evo Morales speaks in El Alto, Bolivia, Nov. 10, 2019. Morales announced his resignation from office after the military and the police executed a coup against his elected government last year. | Enzo De Luca / Agencia Boliviana de Informacion

Morales’s Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party and Indigenous Bolivians have long warned against foreign exploitation of these lithium reserves, which are currently processed inside the country.

On Friday, a group of coca farmers warned of mass mobilizations unless the coup administration reverses its decision to postpone elections for the third time. MAS is predicted to win the next presidential and parliamentary elections, which are now due in October, despite a court ruling barring Morales from standing.

The government is trying to disband MAS to prevent it from contesting the polls.

An earlier version of this article appeared in Morning Star. It has been supplemented with additional material.

 

Featured image:  Billionaire capitalist and Tesla founder Elon Musk asserted the right of the capitalist class to overthrow any elected government they want in a Twitter dispute this weekend. | Photos: AP and Twitter

(Peoples World)

Want More?

Don't want to be a victim of the Algorithm?

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER WITH ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VENEZUELA

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

orinocotribune
Website | + posts
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    International sabotage attempt against Plan Vuelta a Patria denounced
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    Alí Rodríguez Araque dies
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    López Obrador defends Nicolás Maduro during interview
  • orinocotribune
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/orinocotribune/
    The black market Dollar misfortune of the Venezuelan economy
Tags: Bolivia capitalism coronavirus coup elon musk Evo Morales Imperialism Jeanine Anez lithium US

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Continue Reading

Previous Previous post:

Bolivia’s Ongoing Coup

Next Next post:

Amid Escalating Tensions, US Warships Sail Just Miles off Coast of China

Tax deductible donations

One time donations

Recurrent donations

Calendar

June 2022
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« May    

NEWS: Most Viewed 72 Hours

Categories

Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our Privacy Policy.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

OPINION: Most Viewed 72 hours

We are on Telegram


Receive our news directly in your cellphone or PC, join us on our TELEGRAM channel: https://t.me/OrinocoTribune1

Download TELEGRAM, click the link above and then press the JOIN button.

We are Copyleft not Copyright


Creative Commons License
All Orinoco Tribune's work is free to use and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

We are on Reddit


If you are more into REDDIT, join our Orinoco Tribune Community.
Just click below and then click JOIN
https://www.reddit.com/r/OrinocoTribune/

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
Copyleft, No rights reserved.