In Bolivia, President Evo Morales is calling for a new phase in relations with the United States. The Bush administration funneled tens of millions of dollars to Morales’s opponents in an effort to destabilize his government. Bolivia expelled the US ambassador last year over allegations of conspiring with opposition groups. On Thursday, Morales held talks with Thomas Shannon, the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.

Bolivian President Evo Morales: “On the issue of cooperation, whatever cooperation that is undertaken must be from state to state. On the issue of investment, the investment must be orientated toward having partners, and the investment must not just be made to guarantee the plunder of groups without any benefit for the people of Bolivia.”