  We present a 2+1-dimensional lattice model for the copper oxide
superconductors and their parent compounds, in which both the charge and spin
degrees of freedom are treated dynamically. The spin-charge coupling parameter
is associated to the doping fraction in the cuprates. The model is able to
account for the various phases of the cuprates and their properties, not only
at low and intermediate doping but also for (highly) over-doped compounds. We
acquire a qualitative understanding of high-$T_c$ superconductivity as a
Bose-Einstein condensation of bound charge pairs.
