i'm stephanie sy. stay tune for al jazeera for al. evil morales. president of bolivia. why is he so critical of the united states? and why does he want the united nations moved from new york? plus, is he still offering asylum to edward snowden. joins us on talk to al jazeera. >> president morales, it is great to meet you, and have this opportunity to speak to you. thank you for joining us. >> thank you very much for this opportunity to speak with you about different aspects that have to do with the life from the country, the region, and the continent. >> our pleasure.

in your recent comments, to the united nations general assembly. you suggested that the u.n. should be moved from your city. why do you feel that way? because first, air pie rassey, black male, visas. even some ministers with a president, they don't get visas. i get a visa for four, five, seven days. they consider the cuban president as the promoter of terrorism? what's more, here sometimes you have a shootings, and like there have been in the last few years, and on the other hand, the resolutions that are passed here are

not respected by the host country of the united nations. they have done an economic blockade on cuba. not to have the blackmail, and farce the safety, we need to change the headquarters of the united nations. related with the environment, related with human rights. so how are you going to come over here to debate these things. the rights of mother earth, and the rights of our security? as i was saying recently, if you don't change the head quarts here, let's have it be in a rotational basis. if we change, maybe in europe, for example, switzerland, or austria.

for we talk about latin america, or the caribbean, brazil, argentina. that come to debate it is the united nations. >> it sounds like you have as much of a problem with new york as you do with the work of the u.n. and the resolutions that are passed here, and those resolutions being followed by the entire national community. let me move to another note from that speech. you accused the united states of harboring terrorists. that is a serious accusation. can you explain that? >> that's another great insecurity that we had.

>> how come terrorists come to seek refuge here. criminals that are evading justice in latin america. pasada, known confessed terrorist, he is here in this country. and the american government doesn't doesn't give him back. so the united states needs to help out with this instead of contributing to corruption and terrorism. >> the abuse of power, corruption, effects the political process. and we as poll tickets we have to try to work together against corruption.

so that there is no abuse of power. politics is not in business, or a benefit. for me, politics are a service towards our people. so i don't share the way that politics are carries out here -- the way politics should be carries out is a science of the service for the people. >> you believe that there are beliefians who committed crimes against the state, who have escaped to the united states, and you would like the united states to extradite those people back to bolivia? and yet, are you still interested in providing asylum to edward snowden? >> one thing is to abide by international

treaties, but if you do abide by then, for asylum, then, yes, of course. from what i know, i am not an expert or a lawyer, but if there is a citizen from a country that has something pending with the bo livian justice then they have no asylum or any safety net. now, if they are seeking asylum, then that must be given under the international treaties. >> all right, so you are interested and you would extend asylum to edward snowden the nsa surveillance program leaker? >> if his asylum meets international treaties then he is welcome. but if it does not meet with the treaties and international treaties of asylum then no. >> okay.

>> let's talk about the episode with your flight in july. and what happened with that flight and the routing of that flight. president morales, you were in russia at the time. edward snowden was in russia seeking asylum. while in russia, which is the reason why i mentioned the point, you suggested that bolivia might extend asylum to him. such as portugal, france, refuse to allow your plane access to the air space.

>> i would like to be very sincere. we didn't have much information about edward snowden. and i don't know whether or not because -- supposedly it was because i was bringing this gentleman -- can you imagine, with the intelligence apparatus that they have that i was bringing some -- that's really a lack of respect. how can it be. how can the world believe that i was bringing this gentlemen when everyone under control in the whole world?

you know that in an airport there's such freedom, and transparency, but when talking about an international airport, they are under strict controls. but the anticapitalist are the most follows and the most spied on. so if i was taking this american citizen, i don't think so. i think it is more to try to intimidator punish presidents that are anticapitalist and anti-imperialist. but that's united states, that uses european countries, france, sorry, but we with coincide. that they want to confront us. we have also met with spain, and italy, although it has been difficult to get together.

we have no hostility, no resentment whatever has happened we want to continue working to have good relationships. >> so you have made your peace with this? >> it so you wanted as though you have made your peace with the nations involved here, france, spain, correct? of course. we indigenous are not vengeful. what is passed is passed. we look towards the future. but we also have the obligation to see who wants to confront us, and who wants to carry out air piracy. >> but relations remain difficult at best with the united states, and will pick up on that point when we come back, we are talking to president evo morales of

bolivia, we will be back in a moment. [[voiceover]] every day, events sweep across our country. and with them, a storm of views. how can you fully understand the impact unless you've heard angles you hadn't considered? antonio mora brings you smart conversation that challenges the status quo with unexpected opinions and a fresh outlook. including yours. consider this. unconventional wisdom. [[voiceover]] from al jazeera media network comes a new voice of journalism in the u.s. >>the delta is a microcosm of america. [[voiceover]] we tell the human story, from around the block, across the country, with more points of view. >>if joe can't find work, his family will go from living in a motel to living in their car. [[voiceover]] connected, inspired, bold.

>>about a thousand protestors have occupied ...

on august 20th, al jazeera america introduced a new voice in journalism. >> good evening everyone, welcome to al jazeera. >> usa today says: >> ...writes the columbia journalism review. and the daily beast says: >> quality journalists once again on the air is a beautiful thing to behold. >> al jazeera america, there's more to it. welcome back everyone to al jazeera. sitting with the president of bolivia. mr. president, thank you for your time.

i want to talk to beliefian and u.s. relates. there was a time when you thought that relations might actually improve after the election. of barack obama. in your view, what's gone wrong? >> well, first, the beliefian government tries to improve diplomatic relations with the united states. and for that, we drafted an agreement for diplomatic relations, cooperation, working together, and that was not respected. second, i had a lot of faith in president obama. because he also comed from a family that comes from more of a humble background, and from a sector that's been discriminated against, same

as indigenous people. and one thing that he said when he was elected as president, he said i was elected to end wars. right now, wars continue to be proliferated. the worst thing is that the united states instruments and bolivia has been used to conspire against us. u.s. aid, continued conspiring against us, in the american embassy, we took out the american ambassador to improve relationships no improvement. we tried to help with the war against drugs. they have recognized our efforts against drug trafficking and the united states does not certify these.

they accuse us of drug trafficking. so these are profound differences that we have. and that's why i was convinced that the impearlism that the united states using drug trafficking and terrorism for geopolitical strategies and that's why we safeguard our people. >> well, the white house released an annual report, just this month. siting bolivia as you know, as not having done enough to meet its obligations under global narcotics agreements. do you see drug trafficking as a problem for your nation? >> the drug trafficking concern is for the whole world. and that's why bolivia is doing an eradication of coke cacultivation.

and taking care of the legal sides of the production. but as far as the drugs, this has been -- they have been confiscated. it's been recognized. the coco leaf, and the other thing is the cocaine. and what we are also looking into is making sure that the coco leaf doesn't wind up in the illegal cocaine market. when the u.s. is controlling the drug traffic, then't cooer drug trafficking, this wasn't happening. with the d.a., and the embassy. we have been able to reduce, and reduce, and reduce.

>> they have been very critical of the united states. are you concerned that the u.s. may be using surveillance to track your activities and the actives of others. >> i was convinced from the time that i was director, that i was questioning the united states policies. and essentially, its policies regarding life, humanity, and the environment. and i have a feeling that they were fying us quite a bit.

d.e.a., c.i.a. but the espeonnage under wiretapping is intolerable. we already know that the united states through their intelligence fies against governments that are anticapitalists and anti-imperialists. i am not an alley of the united states, of the government of the united states. but there are countries that are allies that are procapitalist, proimperialist, and that's their right under the constitution, this is a freedom of thought, but have them spy on their own allies or spy on their businessmen. but the business in brazil, that's intolerable. you cannot accept that. and that's why it was a general protest in the world with these types

of espionage. >> i want the ask 24 question now, and then get your response to it. the button on this section of our conversation for me, is this. the u.s. is your country second leading trading partner. shouldn't the two before working to improve relationships. i will guest your thoughts after the break. this is talk all al tomorrow night, fault lines investigates wage practices in the restaurant industry. >> the employers have the upper hand out here. they can steal from you and face very little if any consequences. >> basically this industry is saying, "we don't have to pay these workers at all. they should work for us but we don't have to pay them. >> two thirds of low-wage workers experience wage theft every week. >> you're telling me that these people are allowed to treat people like this and you can't

do anything? the government shuts down and al jazeera america covers all of it. from washinton politics, to the real impact on you... >> there's harworking people that want to do their part.. but the government isn't doing theirs... >> coverage continues on al jazeera america.

[[voiceover]] from al jazeera media network comes a new voice of journalism in the u.s. >>the delta is a microcosm of america. [[voiceover]] we tell the human story, from around the block, across the country, with more points of view. >>if joe can't find work, his family will go from living in a motel to living in their car. [[voiceover]] connected, inspired, bold. >>about a thousand protestors have occupied ... welcome back. we are speaking with bolivia's president. i asked you before we went to break, if given the trade relationship between the united states and your country, if more effort should be put into improving that relationship? what are your thoughts?

>> i really want to improve relationships. we are here to have mutual respect. between bolivia, united states, and i feel every country wants the same rights before the united nations. with president obama together, with me that we both have come from segregated sectors, discriminated sectors, coming here to try to work out our economic issues and cooperations and we would like to improve relationships and not just with the united states, but with all of the countries in the world. we would like to share our experiences, and you know that little by little we have had much

better growth much better life in bolivia. we have passed from the beggar state to a multinational indigenous people. >> i want to pick up on that point, you are -- your country's first indigenous president. you have been on the job since 2006. you are as you mentioned, the president of one of the poorest nations in south america. 60% of the population of your country lives in poverty. and 37% in extreme poverty. the question is, are you doing enough, fast enough, to improve the lives of your country? fist, the economic growth in bolivia has helped

us. before the economic growth on average was just 2%. in seven years of government, there's been 4.8% economic growth. right now we are at 6%. this economic growth has been able to democratize our country. what has helped us the most is the nationalization of the hydrocarbons. before we had $300 million in taxes from petroleum. now we are at $5 billion. to modifications to the law, and nationalization of hydrocarbons. this sort of modifications for a country that has about 10 million residents, has helped us greatly.

sounds like 1,000 people that went from poverty to middle class, and that's 10% of the entire country. it's not like it used to be. we are no longer the last or second to last country in development and in latin america, and in the caribbean. this has been in cooperation with other countries. we have begun to change the national economy, and also my last ratification, i would like you to know, is that in 2005, i was rad fied with 54% and after four years i was rad fied as

president by 65%. the president that has been rad fied by a greater percentage in the second time around. >> speaking of that, let's talk about your future. are you going to run, for another term in 2014? some are wondering if what you really want is to be president for life. >> a person is not only management not under proclamation. a couple of years before elections and we are here

to do work to our social movements. i don't know if that's an answer to the question, was it? do you have a plan to run in 2014? >> constitutionally i'm available to do that. but right now, there's no organic institutional or decision from the party. did you understand? do you understand. >> i'm with you. >> president morales, what a pleasure. >> if you were to ask me the question again, you would be my campaign chief. [laughter] >> president morales, it's a pleasure, chank for talking to al jazeera. thank you. >> thank you very much.

>> than is the al jazeera news hour. a warm welcome from me, david foster. in the next 60 minutes, tragedy at sea, a boat of african my grants sinks off the coast of italy killing 100 people. >> obama: the longer this goes on, the worse it will be. >> no end in sight to government shutdown. child