Bolivia: The President's Gamble Yields a New Crisis

Bolivian President Carlos Mesa won the first round of an intensifying political struggle when the Bolivian Congress rejected his resignation March 8. On March 9, the second round began when leftist parties and unions signed an alliance and promised further protests over the future of the country's oil and gas revenues. If he cannot restore order, Mesa likely will turn to the military, but that would only lead to further chaos.