Madrid - Bolivian President Evo Morales on Monday began a two-day official visit to Spain, criticizing the United States, Colombia and foreign companies. "Where there are US military bases, there is no peace or democracy," the Bolivian president said in a reference to Colombia's decision to give Washington access to bases on its territory.
Morales made the comments at an economic forum, following which he met King Juan Carlos and visited parliament.
Morales also accused a former US ambassador of involvement in "conspiracy efforts" and of encouraging the opposition against his government, saying that justified Philip Goldberg's expulsion in 2008.
Despite Bolivia's disapproval of Colombia's military cooperation with the United States, La Paz will not follow Venezuela's example in suspending relations with Bogota, the president said.
"Bolivia will not break off relations with anyone, not even the United States," Morales said. He also defended Bolivia's right to have relations with "everyone," including Iran.
Morales urged foreign companies present in Bolivia to respect the country's legislation, acting as "partners and not bosses" when participating in exploiting the country's natural resources.
Some companies had been found to be "conspiring against my government" and to be financing the opposition because they did not want an indigenous person to be president, the Bolivian leader charged.
Morales was due to discuss the upcoming nationalization of Bolivia's electricity sector, in which several Spanish companies have stakes, when meeting Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Tuesday.
Madrid and La Paz were due to wrap up an agreement to cancel Bolivia's bilateral debt of more than 80 million dollars, with Spain writing off 60 per cent of it, and Bolivia earmarking the remaining 40 per cent for educational programmes.
An agreement was also to be signed to allow Bolivian residents in Spain and Spaniards in Bolivia to vote in each others' municipal elections.
Before beginning his official visit, Morales presided over a rally of some 7,000 Bolivians in Leganes near Madrid on Sunday, pledging to fight for the legalization of undocumented Bolivian immigrants in Spain.
"When Spaniards and Europeans arrived in America, our grandparents never said they were illegal," he told an ecstatic crowd.
Only 98,000 of Spain's estimated 250,000 Bolivians are legally in the country.
The rally was seen as having a strong electoral flavour, as Bolivians resident in Spain are allowed to vote in the December 6 presidential and legislative elections.
The visit was Morales' first to Spain as head of state. The visit followed that of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Madrid on Friday.
