Bolivia and Latin America: New Actors for New Times

May 20, 2008

Bolivia and Latin America:
New Actors for New Times

featuring

Reverend Michael J. Gillgannon

Missionary Priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
and
Archdiocesan Director of Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of La Paz, Bolivia

Thursday, May 22, 2008
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
The Washington Home of Stewart R. Mott
122 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC

On May 8th, Bolivian President Evo Morales agreed to stand for election in a nationwide recall referendum which will take place on August 10th to determine whether he and regional governors will stay in office. This follows a tense week where the province of Santa Cruz voted for less central government control, a vote President Morales subsequently declared illegal. Furthermore, President Morales will have to win as many or more votes as he garnered when he was elected in 2005 to stay in office. His defeat would result in an unforeseen transition of power from the leftist Movement to Socialism (MAS) party, identified with the country's indigenous people and social movements, to conservative, free-market sectors that are in line with the governments that governed Bolivia prior to the current administration.

Rev. Michael J. Gillgannon is the Founder and Director of Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of La Paz, Bolivia.  He also serves as Chaplain to the State University of La Paz and the La Paz Teachers' College.  Ordained in 1958, Fr. Gillgannon began his career in campus ministry in 1962 at Western Missouri State University.  In 1966, he served on the advisory committee of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference for the post-Vatican II reorganization of Catholic Campus Ministry in the United States.  Since 1974, he has worked as a missionary priest in La Paz, serving as Pastor of San Antonio Parish, as Archdiocesan Director of Pastoral Planning, and as National Chaplain for Bolivian Campus Ministry.

Please RSVP to Rachel Robb by May 21st at rrobb@wola.org

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a nonprofit policy, research, and advocacy organization working to advance democracy, human rights, and social and economic justice in U.S. policy towards Latin America.  For more information please visit http://www.wola.org/.