https://www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/it-only-took-six-months-for-the-us
Anti-imperialist Nexus

May 19, 2026

We were told for years that Bolivia was under socialist dictatorship because Evo Morales would not allow the US to plunder his country's resources. When his MAS party came to power in 2006, Morales chose to nationalise Bolivia’s natural gas (Latin America's 2nd largest reserves) and lithium (the world's largest reserves) so the proceeds could benefit his people over western corporations.

Lithium, the “white gold”, is an essential component of modern technologies, such as electric vehicles, and the US wanted to secure cheap and easy access on its doorstep. But Morales had other ideas. In 2008, he declared lithium a strategic resource and wanted the best possible price for his people. Problem is the US was not interested in paying a fair price or creating jobs for Bolivians so he looked elsewhere.

The Bolivian president dared trade with countries that offered the fairest deals, such as Russia and China. As a result, annual revenue from resources increased from $173 million to $1.5 billion in just five years. Bolivia benefitted through new highways, hydroelectric plants, telecommunications and broadband networks, and social programs that lifted millions out of poverty. In other words, Bolivia was being looted under neoliberalism and Morales gave his people independence.