In this fight for power, anything goes and the two rivals will stop at nothing to score points, or even knock out their adversaries.
The last episode of this standoff between Evo Morales (2006-2019) and his former Minister of Economy who became president, Luis Arce, was an aborted arrest warrant against Morales for “rape and human trafficking”.
The former head of state, who has become a leading figure for all the indigenous peoples of Latin America, accused his rival of waging “a legal war” against him to exclude him from the presidential race.
In the background of this disastrous rivalry for Bolivia is Morales’ desire to return to power “at all costs”, while the Bolivian Constitution formally prohibits more than two presidential mandates.
In an interview with MAP, Bolivian MP Tatiana Anez Carrasco explains the underlying reasons for this rivalry which could lead Bolivia to its downfall.
For the young representative of the Santa Cruz region, “Morales, who finds himself excluded from state affairs and the appointments of ministers and senior officials, challenges the government.”
“It must be borne in mind, however, that Evo Morales had violated the constitution to perpetuate himself in power in 2019 and at the same time, the current government justifies its inability to resolve the political, social, economic and environmental crisis, by rejecting responsibility on previous governments, in which, let it be said in passing, he (Luis Arce) also actively participated as Minister of Economy,” continued Tatiana Anez.
Last month, Morales launched a multi-day march across the country, which culminated on September 23 in the capital, in a show of force against the government of his former ally and current rival, who accuses him of wanting to trigger “a civil war” in Bolivia.
For Tatiana Anez, this antagonism which is harmful to the country “exists because power is not shared and because personal interests prevail over the general interest. Similar situations occurred in other countries, such as in Ecuador with the president at the time, Lenin Moreno, and his predecessor Rafael Correa, sentenced in absentia in 2020 to eight years in prison for corruption.
These differences between the two leaders of the Bolivian left (Movement towards Socialism-MAS) cast a shadow of uncertainty over the 2025 presidential election.
The branch of the MAS led by Evo Morales blames the government for all the country’s ills: corruption, cronyism, drug trafficking, economic crisis, shortage of dollars and drop in hydrocarbon production, etc. And he has no shortage of arguments.
Because of its heavy dependence on raw materials, Bolivia is suffering from weakening gas exports and a growing budget deficit which are throwing the country into the arms of international financial institutions.
Factually speaking, the country is literally on fire. Gigantic fires in the west of the country have destroyed more than seven million hectares of forest and vegetation, forcing Bolivia to launch an SOS to the international community to help stem this environmental catastrophe, the consequences of which will dissipate little by little when the flames are under control.
On the political level, Evo Morales’ thirst for power has eroded his plan to reconquer the head of state, while exacerbating the crisis in the country.
The climate of decay that has prevailed for several months in the country reached its most disastrous expression last June, when part of the army allegedly attempted to overthrow the government.
Morales immediately accused his rival of having fomented a “self-coup” with a double objective: to give the image of a president who holds the reins and to forget the economic crisis in the country.
These accusations were then confirmed by the author of the alleged coup, the former chief of staff, Juan José Zuniga, who told the local press that he had simulated this coup, carried out in coordination with Luis Arce. with the aim of propelling its popularity.
In the eyes of MP Tatiana Anez, the evil that is gnawing at the country can only be wiped out if Bolivians implement a federal system that would reduce the hegemony of the “centralized state”.
It is in fact a question of getting in tune with the official name of the country: the Plurinational State of Bolivia. A system that recognizes the ethnic, geographic and political plurality of this vast landlocked territory between Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Brazil.
This system would, according to her, guarantee a better distribution of resources on the basis of a credible population census.
In a tense regional context due to the post-electoral situation in Venezuela, Bolivia seems to be caught between Evo Morales, who projects himself as a “Caudillo” of the Andean highlands, and Luis Arce, who despite his expertise as World Bank official lacks charisma.
With the Ecuadorian syndrome looming on the horizon, Arce’s administration is struggling to get the country out of its acute economic crisis, while his rival Evo Morales is lying in wait to return to power. What is certain at the moment is that the country is preparing to experience a turning point in its modern history.
2024-10-08 08:48:21