Bolivian President Luis Arce addressing a crowd. Photo: Plurinational Legislative Assembly.
The Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) faction that supports former Bolivian president Evo Morales (2006-2019), decided to “definitively expel” from the party the current president of Bolivia, Luis Arce (photo), and his vice president, David Choquehuanca. In an expanded national meeting held on September 3 in Villa Tunari, Morales ratified the decision taken by the MAS party members, arguing that the actions of the two are not compatible with the principles of the party.
“The behavior of Lucho-David is no longer that of the party members,” said Morales while reading the conclusions of the expanded meeting in Villa Tunari, central zone of the Tropical Zone of Cochabamba, one of the main coca-growing areas of Bolivia and the political stronghold of the former president, who is seeking re-election. “Yesterday [September 2] there was such a repression on the Ponchos Rojos, who are only demanding that their union headquarters be respected. Instead they face repression, injuries, and are detained by the police. I believe that the expulsion from the organization is justified.”
Morales added that the idea of expelling Arce and Choquehuanca had already been supported months ago during a MAS meeting in the coliseum of La Coronilla, in Cochabamba. However, on that occasion, Morales chose not to include the expulsion in the final conclusions, hoping that there was still a possibility of reconciliation within the party. “I thought I could still come back, and nothing would be worse,” he admitted.
The majority faction of the MAS argued that Arce and Choquehuanca were expelled “for having betrayed the Bolivian people and the Process of Change; for not acting organically in the organization; for having betrayed the Homeland by allowing the return of the US government arms such as the CIA, DEA and USAID; for converting to neoliberalism; for having destroyed the economy; for viciously repressing the indigenous peasant movement and converting the union headquarters into police posts.”
After the expulsion, the MAS ratified Morales as the president of the party and proclaimed him the “sole candidate” for the 2025 presidential elections. Now it remains to be seen if the Bolivian judiciary recognizes the validity of the congress in which this decision was taken, something that the judiciary had previously rejected.
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The meeting of the MAS sectors supporting Evo Morales also called for a march on September 17 from the town of Caracollo, in the Andean region of Oruro, to the capital La Paz, calling upon the government to meet their demands that include the validation of the MAS congress held in 2023, where Morales was elected as the party’s highest leader. The former president said that “the time has come to meet the people with respect” and announced that the march will end at La Paz on September 23, where a meeting will be held.
Morales promised other measures of force in case the Arce government insists on its position. “If the government does not respond… a national road blockade is justified,” warned the former president.
Arce has also tried to remove Morales from the presidential race with various mechanisms. “Facing those who bet on hate, lies, violence and confrontation between Bolivians to convulse the country for electoral ambitions, our response will always be more work in favor of the Bolivian people,” Arce wrote on social media after his expulsion was confirmed.
In addition, Arce stated that he will insist on holding a referendum to consult the citizens whether they agree or not to modify the Constitution to establish that presidents and vice presidents can only be reelected once, even if the terms are discontinuous, something that the EVo Morales factions see as another trick to prevent Morales’ candidacy.
Currently, article 168 of the Constitution of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, adopted during Morales’ first presidency, establishes that the term of office of president and vice president “is five years, and they can be reelected only once in a continuous manner.” This, however, leaves open the possibility of reelection in discontinuous terms as well, according to constituional analysts.
Arce and Morales have been in open confrontation for many months. One of the worst clashes occurred in June, when a faction of the army installed a tank in front of the government headquarters with the threat of a coup d’état, which led to accusations and counter-accusations between the former president and the current president.
(Resumen Latinoamericano English) with additional translation by Orinoco Tribune
