I'm John Batchel. This is the New World Report. I welcome Professor Evan Ellis of the U.S. Army War

College, Strategic Studies Institute, just returned from the Americas. He was in Santa Cruz,

which is a secondary city in Bolivia, but the safe one, given that the capital, La Paz,

when last I spoke with the professor, was under siege by elements of Eva Morales's old cartel.

This is associated with the cocaine growers of Bolivia, also with narco-terrorism, also with what was

called at one point a slow-motion coup against the president, Paz, who was elected honorably and straightforwardly,

elbowing out the influence of Morales over many years, along with the cocoa growers,

that is, cocaine's origin.

Professor, welcome back.

Your time in Santa Cruz was well spent.

What I have from headlines in the last hours from Bolivia is not promising,

but it does indicate a new direction. Bolivia's president, Rajigopaz, named Ernesto Hustiano,

as defense minister, and Mr. Ustiano promised to clear roadblocks following weeks of social

unrest and mass protests that

have blocked streets in major cities. As I recall, when last we spoke, there was question

of a shortage of food and medical supplies in La Paz. The blockade was being run by elements

of all kinds of criminality. Also, minors were participating.

I believe in the first weeks there was a report of a dynamite explosion. So this is a

malage of bad acting. At the same time, Paz has now replaced his defense minister. Is that a

direction that will resolve the blockade, or is that indicating that there's

going to be a battle, a confrontation, the army is going to be deployed? Good evening to you.

Good evening to you, John. What's probably a move in a positive or at least a more assertive

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