Supporters of Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales confront police along a highway in Sacaba on November 15, 2019. His supporters fought vigorously to get him on the ballot for an unprecedented fourth term. Morales completed three successful terms in office before he was ousted in 2019 under military duress. Upon his re-entry into the political arena, he’s been hit with heavyweight opposition. The protests exploded against the backdrop of Bolivia’s most severe economic crisis in over 40 years. This made repercussions for both his supporters and the police much more severe.
Supporters of Morales flooded the streets, marching on the nation’s highest electoral tribunal. They called for him to be permitted to run in the next presidential elections. In a landmark decision, the Constitutional Court reaffirmed a decision restricting presidents to a maximum of two terms in office. Even with this ruling, Morales’ supporters are not giving up the fight. They claim that a previous 2017 decision tried to allow Morales to register his candidacy, which sparked even more conflict between the two sides.
According to Police Commander Juan Russo, the demonstrators escalated to throwing firecrackers and rocks in these clashes, causing injury among the police. He emphasized that the actions of the protesters deviated from a peaceful demonstration, saying, “They’re using firecrackers and rocks that are hurting our forces. This is not a peaceful march.”
In an effort to contain the fallout, officials asked Morales to turn himself in voluntarily. Eduardo del Castillo, the Minister of Government, stated, “We ask Mr. Morales to surrender voluntarily. If we find him walking the streets, we will arrest him.” Yet police have drastically ramped up their presence. Morales has gone into hiding, fearing arrest on trumped-up human trafficking charges his supporters contend are politically motivated.
Morales had already pledged to join a big march on Friday. Instead, he failed to appear, leaving them rightly worried and disillusioned. One protester, David Ochoa, voiced the sentiments of many when he declared, “Evo Morales is each and every one of us. If they want to detain Evo Morales they would need to take every one of us, too.”
As the economy heads deeper into crisis, the political horizon in Bolivia is still complicated by the country’s fractious political culture. The tension around Morales’ possible candidacy has resurfaced fractures in the country. In 2019, most Bolivians can still clearly remember the streets filled with protesters after Morales announced he would run for a fourth term. These protests eventually did force his resignation and exile.
Morales’ return to Bolivia has further fanned the flame of concern that any type of unrest could explode like that witnessed during his presidency. The calls for his candidacy have mobilized significant support from rural areas, where he remains a popular figure. His constituents are convinced that without him, they’ll be cut off from meaningful political representation and economic revival.
Morales’ allies under siege, but unbowed. They are adamant that he deserves to have the opportunity to run for office again. The constitutional court’s ruling against him has hardened their belief to Continue Reading >> The post Students’ protests go next level appeared first on NewFaculty.
