Elections 2019: The Bolivian Political Crisis Continued
MABB ©
Twenty-one days after the general elections (executive and legislative), Bolivia's political crisis deepens even further. President Morales has called for new elections, the OAS' audit team concluded it was impossible to confirm the election results, the police force has openly rebelled, and the majority of the many mobilized groups around the country are asking Morales to resign. It seems Bolivia has maneuvered itself in a situation where the only way out of this crisis is a new government.
The events
In recent days, the government has kept its mixed strategy. On the one side, it has repeatedly called the population to remain calm and not engage in violent acts. For instance, Morales has been issuing statements through the media and his social media channels, speaking in press conferences, as well as sending government officials to issue similar messages, which urged the population to remain calm and to wait for the OAS' audit results. Around the country, there were many buildings set on fire as well as many opposing groups violently confronted each other, where there were injured and several deaths. On the other side, Morales and his team have been urging supporters to defend their votes. Morales and his team have distributed the blame for the many violent acts and the deaths of demonstrators to the opposition leadership (mostly to Mesa and Camacho). The government also urged its supporters to go out on the streets to "defend" their vote, alleging the opposition wanted to steal the rural vote. Morales even came out alleging there was a coup d'etat on the works and urged, once again, his supporters to defend the democratic process.
In the meantime, the opposition radicalized even more. While the political forces such as CC repeated their massage urging Morales to resign, call to new elections and change the TSE leadership, the various civil society groups changed their demands to call for Morales' resignation. Fernando Camacho, the Santa Cruz Civic Committee president, flew to La Paz to, as he asserted, give Morales a letter which contained the people's demand, i.e. Morales' resignation. These "civic" organizations around the country, begun to concentrate their demands around the resignation of Morales. This change was the result of the events developing simultaneously in other parts of the country. Many groups in La Paz set up barricades around the government building replacing the police which had been securing the area but retreated because of the mutiny.
The media, via many reports around the country by their journalists, has been reporting that many groups supporting the MAS have been confronting demonstrators around the country. A couple of days ago, there were reports of such attacks trying to stop the blockades, which degenerated into violent confrontations with stones, sticks and many times physically and with many injured. There was a death reported in Montero. In the course of yesterday to today, there were several attacks from allegedly MAS supporters to demonstrators trying to reach La Paz to demonstrate against the government. Of course, it is necessary to highlight that there were other MAS groups, in a similar manner, calling for calm and peace as well as for the acceptance of the official electoral results. Many of these also demonstrated showing their support for the government.
Decisive events (before midday)
The development of this crisis took a downturn when more actors joined the course of events.
On November 9: Following the announcement of the Cochabamba police to stage a mutiny (that is how they called it), the rest of the police departments soon followed. By 8 pm (Bolivian time), the police in the 9 departments had declared a rebellion against the government.
Important was what happened in Santa Cruz and La Paz. In Santa Cruz, police officers arbitrarily forced the, up to then, departmental police commander, to replace him with someone else. That person publically declared "the police is with its people". In La Paz, police forces securing the government palace retreated to their precincts, giving thus free access to plaza Murillo.
Another decisive event was an attack against several buses coming from Potosi in direction to La Paz carrying people who wanted to demonstrate against the government. It was reported that as the convoy passed the Vila Vila town, a group of people (it is unclear whether locals or other people) flanked the vehicles and attacked them with stones and other materials. This caused several injured. This is just the information that was verified by the media.
In addition, there are reports of other similar events that involve rape, death, and injury. As a result of all this information or misinformation, the people from Potosi have radicalized even more. At this point, it does not seem as if they will be happy with anything other than Morales' resignation.
At the same time, the group of citizens representing the wives of police officers organized in an association stationed themselves at the doors of police buildings. In many opportunities, these women spoke what the police officers could not. In support of these women, many groups of demonstrators not only joined the women but also posted themselves in order to secure the several police buildings around the plaza Murillo as well as the government building. Remarkably strategic, these moves.
On November 10: The OAS audit team published its preliminary report, which concluded: "vulnerabilities and irregularities, which made it impossible to guarantee the integrity of the data and give certainty about the results."
As soon as the OAS published its audit results and proposed new elections, President Morales, from a military base in El Alto, called for new elections, for the renewal of the TSE leadership and called the opposition to negotiations.
Decisive Events (afternoon)
In the afternoon, at around 2 pm, and throughout a course of two to three hours, one by one, a considerable number of ministers, senators, deputies, governors, start to resign from their posts.
There is a video of the Interior Minister, Romero, showing him holding hands with two of his aids and a police official, praying.
At around 3 pm, the Army Commander and the Police Chief, at separate but closely following times, issue a call for Morales' resignation.
What is coming?
It looks like time is out for President Morales!
 |
| Source: TV screenshots from ATB network |
The events
In recent days, the government has kept its mixed strategy. On the one side, it has repeatedly called the population to remain calm and not engage in violent acts. For instance, Morales has been issuing statements through the media and his social media channels, speaking in press conferences, as well as sending government officials to issue similar messages, which urged the population to remain calm and to wait for the OAS' audit results. Around the country, there were many buildings set on fire as well as many opposing groups violently confronted each other, where there were injured and several deaths. On the other side, Morales and his team have been urging supporters to defend their votes. Morales and his team have distributed the blame for the many violent acts and the deaths of demonstrators to the opposition leadership (mostly to Mesa and Camacho). The government also urged its supporters to go out on the streets to "defend" their vote, alleging the opposition wanted to steal the rural vote. Morales even came out alleging there was a coup d'etat on the works and urged, once again, his supporters to defend the democratic process.
In the meantime, the opposition radicalized even more. While the political forces such as CC repeated their massage urging Morales to resign, call to new elections and change the TSE leadership, the various civil society groups changed their demands to call for Morales' resignation. Fernando Camacho, the Santa Cruz Civic Committee president, flew to La Paz to, as he asserted, give Morales a letter which contained the people's demand, i.e. Morales' resignation. These "civic" organizations around the country, begun to concentrate their demands around the resignation of Morales. This change was the result of the events developing simultaneously in other parts of the country. Many groups in La Paz set up barricades around the government building replacing the police which had been securing the area but retreated because of the mutiny.
The media, via many reports around the country by their journalists, has been reporting that many groups supporting the MAS have been confronting demonstrators around the country. A couple of days ago, there were reports of such attacks trying to stop the blockades, which degenerated into violent confrontations with stones, sticks and many times physically and with many injured. There was a death reported in Montero. In the course of yesterday to today, there were several attacks from allegedly MAS supporters to demonstrators trying to reach La Paz to demonstrate against the government. Of course, it is necessary to highlight that there were other MAS groups, in a similar manner, calling for calm and peace as well as for the acceptance of the official electoral results. Many of these also demonstrated showing their support for the government.
Decisive events (before midday)
The development of this crisis took a downturn when more actors joined the course of events.
On November 9: Following the announcement of the Cochabamba police to stage a mutiny (that is how they called it), the rest of the police departments soon followed. By 8 pm (Bolivian time), the police in the 9 departments had declared a rebellion against the government.
Important was what happened in Santa Cruz and La Paz. In Santa Cruz, police officers arbitrarily forced the, up to then, departmental police commander, to replace him with someone else. That person publically declared "the police is with its people". In La Paz, police forces securing the government palace retreated to their precincts, giving thus free access to plaza Murillo.
Another decisive event was an attack against several buses coming from Potosi in direction to La Paz carrying people who wanted to demonstrate against the government. It was reported that as the convoy passed the Vila Vila town, a group of people (it is unclear whether locals or other people) flanked the vehicles and attacked them with stones and other materials. This caused several injured. This is just the information that was verified by the media.
In addition, there are reports of other similar events that involve rape, death, and injury. As a result of all this information or misinformation, the people from Potosi have radicalized even more. At this point, it does not seem as if they will be happy with anything other than Morales' resignation.
At the same time, the group of citizens representing the wives of police officers organized in an association stationed themselves at the doors of police buildings. In many opportunities, these women spoke what the police officers could not. In support of these women, many groups of demonstrators not only joined the women but also posted themselves in order to secure the several police buildings around the plaza Murillo as well as the government building. Remarkably strategic, these moves.
On November 10: The OAS audit team published its preliminary report, which concluded: "vulnerabilities and irregularities, which made it impossible to guarantee the integrity of the data and give certainty about the results."
As soon as the OAS published its audit results and proposed new elections, President Morales, from a military base in El Alto, called for new elections, for the renewal of the TSE leadership and called the opposition to negotiations.
Decisive Events (afternoon)
 |
| Source: ATB news, Above: Army, Below: Police |
In the afternoon, at around 2 pm, and throughout a course of two to three hours, one by one, a considerable number of ministers, senators, deputies, governors, start to resign from their posts.
There is a video of the Interior Minister, Romero, showing him holding hands with two of his aids and a police official, praying.
At around 3 pm, the Army Commander and the Police Chief, at separate but closely following times, issue a call for Morales' resignation.
What is coming?
It looks like time is out for President Morales!
