I started watching Cocalero with skepticism not knowing whether its a propaganda film. Propaganda or not, Morales comes off as a sincere and likable leader of an exciting populist movement of Bolivia's poor and indigenous people. Much of the movie follows Morales behind the scenes to typical campaign events like fundraisers, media interviews and rallies.
Some scenes are not so typical to American elections such as holding practice voting sessions for groups of farmers, some of whom are illiterate, to make sure they vote correctly without spoiling any ballots. Hearing one of Morales' MAS party candidates shout "Death to the Yankees!" at a union meeting was disconcerting but its hard to feel threatened by it. Maybe she's a Red Sox fan?
Cocalero also gives room to some of Morales detractors and doesn't hide the more controversial actions by his union. The most interesting parts of the movie show us a glimpse into the daily lives, politics and struggles of a poor nation deeply effected by U.S. policies.
From a United States perspective I always learn new things about my country when I study Latin America. I don't think I've ever read a newspaper article about how the US drug war that further impoverished cocoa growers in Bolivia, by destroying their crops, fuels anti-American sentiment to this day. As far as I can tell the main effect of that policy in the U.S. was giving rise to the use of meth and other drugs that can be made domestically.
One event during the 2002 Bolivian election that's depicted in Our Brand is Crisis is Morales getting a boost in popularity after being denounced as a terrorist by the US Ambassador. Bush's unpopularity around the world drives support to left wing parties who more loudly denounce US intervention and trade policies. Evo Morales spoke about that in a recent interview on Democracy Now.
You know, what’s happening in Latin America, any aggression or provocation by President Bush improves the image and the acceptance of candidates to the presidency. I feel that there’s a rebellion in the Latin American people, especially in the South American people, vis-a-vis the empire. Before, they were dictatorships at the service of the empire. And I don’t want to hide this. You know me. That’s why we’ve had so many interviews. And democracies are coming about as a result of people’s struggles and vis-a-vis democratic movements. There were dictatorships and dictatorships in the last twenty years. There have been neoliberal governments that have been pro-capitalist. Now, as they’ve not resolved their social or structural problems, the social movements are growing with their own sentiment of dignity, of sovereignty, of development. And at this juncture, they’re growing. The liberating democracies in South America are on the rise. It’s very striking.That conflict is at the center of both movies, Our Brand is Crisis and Cocalero. Both tell Americans about our own country as much as it teaches us about Bolivian politics.