Evo Morales’ March Seeks to Alter the Democratic Order: Bolivian Government

The ‘March to Save Bolivia’ in La Paz, Sept. 24, 2024. X/ @GuardianaBoliv1

September 24, 2024 Hour: 11:33 am

On Monday, Morales said that President Arce must change his Cabinet within 24 hours if he wants to continue governing,

On Tuesday, the Bolivian Foreign Affairs Ministry accused former president Evo Morales of threatening the continuity of democracy in the Andean country by demanding that President Luis Arce make changes to his cabinet within 24 hours.

“At a rally held on Monday, September 23, 2024, in the city of La Paz, former president Evo Morales threatened to interrupt the continuity of democratic order by giving an ultimatum to constitutional president Luis Arce, stating that he must change his Cabinet of Ministers within 24 hours if he wants to continue governing,” the foreign affairs ministry recalled.

“The legally constituted government has demonstrated its democratic commitment by repeatedly calling for dialogue within a week and expressly stating that this is the best way to resolve conflicts. In this sense, it rejects the statements made by former president Evo Morales, as well as any form of extortion or conditioning against the will of the people expressed at the polls,” it added.

“The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia reaffirms its commitment to respecting democracy and to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in favor of the stability, security, and well-being of the Bolivian people.”

Tupaj Katari vuelve convertido en millones de voluntades para salvar a nuestra querida Bolivia.
Una vez más, la conciencia de todo nuestro pueblo está despierta.
Nuestra marcha es para decir basta de corrupción, de un gobierno de familias, de encubrimiento al narcotráfico, de… pic.twitter.com/VXHudRVgMD
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) September 23, 2024

Former President Evo Morales text reads, “Tupaj Katari returns transformed into millions of wills to save our beloved Bolivia. Once again, the conscience of all our people is awakened. Our march says enough to the corruption of a government of families, to the cover-up of drug trafficking, to the destruction of the people’s economy, and to the attack on our social organizations. Our march is to defend the plurinational state, our economic model, and our political instrument. Long live the March to Save Bolivia!“

Morales, who is also the leader of the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS), seeks to be authorized as a presidential candidate for the 2025 elections despite a constitutional prohibition. On September 17, he began a 187-kilometer march across the Bolivian highlands, which he named the “March to Save Bolivia,” entering the city of La Paz, the seat of government, on Monday.

“I made a mistake in appointing Luis Arce as president,” Morales said during his speech after the march, adding that the Bolivian leader has “plunged” the country into an economic crisis due to a lack of dollars and fuel shortages. For his part, President Arce described the mobilization as a “coup d’etat” against him, adding that Morales is trying to impose his candidacy “by any means necessary.”

On Monday night, several Morales supporters and groups allied with Arce clashed in the center of the city, exchanging blows and throwing stones. Police dispersed the confrontation with tear gas, and both sides reported injured individuals.

Arce and Morales have been estranged since late 2021 and have been engaged in a long battle for control of MAS and the executive branch. Supporters of both politicians have held separate MAS congresses to change the party’s leadership and proclaim candidates. However, the Electoral Tribunal insists that they hold a joint congress for it to be valid, which has not yet occurred.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Bolivia: Presidency Minister Maria Nela Prada summoned former President Evo Morales to a dialogue in La Paz to discuss his list of demands to avoid confrontations between citizens. pic.twitter.com/1AvtQUCGKg
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 24, 2024