Grover García, newly elected president of Bolivia's Movement Towards Socialism, among supporters. Photo: Resumen Latinoamericano.
Grover García, leader of the United Confederation of Bolivian Peasant Workers, was elected as the president of Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), ruling party of Bolivia, in the MAS national congress held in El Alto.
This confederation supports the president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, amid the controversies within MAS over the leadership of the party, between Arce and former president Evo Morales.
“This congress has been carried out legally, considering the unity of the people and making the country corruption-free, upholding the dignity of all Bolivians and social organizations,” García declared on Sunday, May 5, after being sworn in. “Today more than ever this party is at the service of all Bolivians to correct all weaknesses and to strive to do what is right. I am going to work with everyone as the head of our Unity Pact.”
He added that the MAS statute should be updated according to the reality of the country, according to the reality of the party membership and the party’s parent organizations.
The second-in-command of MAS will be the representative of the United Confederation of Intercultural Communities of Bolivia, Fidel Surco, and the third-in-command will be the leader of the Bartolina Sisa National Confederation of Indigenous Peasant Women of Bolivia, Julia Ramos.
The MAS congress ratified its support for the government of President Luis Arce and Vice President David Choquehuanca, stating that they were democratically elected. The leadership pledged to defend the government against possible mobilizations and road blockades announced by followers of ex-president Evo Morales.
García stated that the new leadership of MAS will dedicate itself to comply with the resolutions of the El Alto congress, including the call for a new congress to modify the Organic Statute of the party. He emphasized that the era of “imposition” of leadership is over, and that all elections and decisions will be made “organically.”
The congress also resolved to hold elections for the departmental leaderships of MAS to guarantee their corresponding legality.
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In view of the announcement of road blockades by Evo Morales’ followers, García called for reflection, arguing that the blockades only harm Bolivian families.
“If someone incites and other sectors seek to convulse [the economy], they will be responsible for all the difficulties and damages caused to the Bolivian people,” García said. “We will demand that all institutions responsible for guaranteeing freedom of movement comply with their duties. This leadership is against road blockades.”
The congress of the Unity Pact, the bloc of MAS that supports Luis Arce, was held during May 3-5 in the Héroes de Octubre Coliseum of El Alto, with the participation of approximately 6,000 delegates from all over Bolivia. The venue was heavily guarded by some 4,000 police officers.
In a clear challenge to the MAS bloc led by Evo Morales, the Unity Pact held the meeting and announced that the party statute will be changed.
The Organic Commission of the Movement Towards Socialism announced at the end of the congress that an organic congress will be held within 90 days in order to modify the statute.
Vidal Gómez, leader of the United Confederation of Intercultural Communities of Bolivia and vice president of MAS, said, “The new president of MAS must carry out in 60 to 90 days a statutory congress. The statute that we currently have is exclusionary, it excludes the organizations, the membership, and the youth.”
The other newly elected vice-president, Julia Ramos, added, “We must work with the nine departments, reorganize the social sectors and work with the parent organizations, it is a challenge we have,” and confirmed the convening of an organic congress in 90 days.
Evo Morales criticizes Unity Pact congress, calls Luis Arce a US agent
Evo Morales criticized to the decision of the Unity Pact congress called by President Luis Arce, where Grover Garcia was elected as the new leader of MAS.
“Everything that the government of Lucho and David has been executing economically and politically is part of an imperialist plan, coordinated with the right wing and the US Embassy,” Morales claimed. “It is aimed at outlawing or appropriating the MAS-IPSP, disqualifying Evo and extending Lucho Arce’s term, to cover up the acts of corruption of close family members and hand over our natural resources to foreign hands, as in the neoliberal past.”
He also expressed his anger at what he considers a maneuver to slander leaders who support him. “The government shows its repressive face again,” he commented in an interview while the Unity Pact congress was going on. “The people realize that the government is using the same tactics as [security minister of Jeanine Áñez’s coup government] Arturo Murillo. After illegally detaining comrade Alberto Echazú and provoking the suicide of Juan Carlos Montenegro, now the government is threatening comrades Juan Ramón Quintana, Wilma Alanoca, and César Dockweiler. The world is seeing how this government, betraying the political party that brought it to power, has become the worst government in our democratic history. Our solidarity with the persecuted comrades.”
(Resumen Latinoamericano) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
