Did Morales' Reforms Change Bolivia's Military Forever?

Bolivia's military asked President Evo Morales to resign in November 2019, following weeks of civil protests over a disputed election. Morales, Latin America's longest-standing leader, had won the election on 20 October, but a delay in the vote count sparked fraud allegations and protests. The Organization of American States (OAS) found clear manipulation in the voting system and could not verify the result. The military's intervention, which Morales agreed to, was widely considered a coup. However, some leftist commentators attributed Morales' fall to a popular uprising against his re-election and alleged election fraud. Morales' supporters saw his ouster as a setback for democracy and indigenous rights, while his critics celebrated it as a victory against an oppressive regime. The military's role in Morales' resignation raises questions about Bolivia's democratic future and the potential for further unrest.

The Bolivian military asked Morales to resign to ensure stability in the country

On Sunday, 10 November 2019, the commander of Bolivia's armed forces, General Williams Kaliman, asked President Evo Morales to resign from the presidency to help restore peace and stability after weeks of protests over a disputed election. Kaliman stated that the military had suggested Morales's resignation to enable peace and maintain stability for the good of Bolivia. The request came after the Organization of American States (OAS) conducted an audit of the 20 October 2019 election and found serious irregularities, leading Morales to agree to hold new elections.

The resignation of Morales, a leftist icon and the last survivor of Latin America's "pink tide," sent shockwaves across the region. Vice President Álvaro García Linera also resigned.

Morales had been in power for nearly 14 years and was the country's first indigenous leader. He had overseen a period of relative stability and economic growth, with Bolivia achieving one of the region's strongest economic growth rates and a halving of the poverty rate. However, his determination to cling to power and seek a fourth term alienated many allies, even among indigenous communities.

The 20 October 2019 election results were disputed due to a 24-hour suspension of the live transmission of "rapid-count" results. When the transmission resumed, Morales had secured the requisite 10% lead over his nearest rival, Carlos Mesa, to avoid a runoff. This sparked suspicion of electoral fraud and led to large and growing protests in the week after the vote.

In the days before Morales's resignation, the demand for his resignation was voiced by popular movements, including the miners' union and the Bolivian Workers' Central. On 10 November, the Bolivian Workers' Center, a powerful pro-government union, stated that Morales should stand down if it would help end the recent violence.

Additionally, police forces were seen joining anti-government protests, and the military declared that it would not "confront the people" over the issue. The pressure on Morales intensified as several of his political allies resigned, some citing fears for their families' safety.

Morales eventually agreed to new elections and submitted his resignation to help restore stability. However, he denounced the events as a "civic coup" and expressed concerns about his safety, stating that the police had an "illegal" warrant for his arrest and that "violent groups" had attacked his home.

Morales' government decried a coup against him by violent groups

On 10 November 2019, Morales' government decried a "coup" against him by what it called "violent groups". The accusation came after police forces were seen joining anti-government protests, with local television showing police in several Bolivian cities marching alongside protesters in apparent acts of disobedience and joining chants regularly used by the opposition. The military also released a statement saying that they would never confront the people to whom they had a duty and that they would always ensure peace, coexistence, and the development of their homeland.

Morales repeated accusations that the opposition was organizing a coup against the state. The foreign ministry released a statement saying some police officers had "abandoned their constitutional role of ensuring the security of society and state institutions". At a news conference, Morales called an urgent meeting with the four political parties represented in parliament. By Saturday afternoon, at least two opposition parties had rejected Morales' invitation and one had accepted.

Morales' accusation of a coup d'etat was supported by a number of left-leaning leaders in the region, including Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and Argentina's Peronist President-elect Alberto Fernandez. Maduro tweeted:

> We denounce before the world the attempted coup d'etat in progress against the brother President Evo Morales.

Mexico's foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard said his country would offer Morales asylum if he sought it, and Nicaragua's government also came to Morales' defense, issuing a statement that decried the situation as a coup and a display of "fascist practices."

Morales resigned as president the following day, stating that he was stepping down to help restore stability, though he maintained that he was the victim of a "civic coup" and that police planned to arrest him. He also said that violent groups had attacked his home.

Morales was the first indigenous president of Bolivia

Evo Morales, born in 1959, is a Bolivian politician, trade unionist, and former activist who served as the country's 65th president from 2006 to 2019. Morales is widely regarded as Bolivia's first indigenous president, being of Aymara descent.

Morales' political career began in 1995, when he entered electoral politics. He was elected to Congress in 1997 and became the leader of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party in 1998. Morales campaigned on issues affecting indigenous and poor communities, advocating for land reform and more equal redistribution of money from Bolivian gas extraction.

Morales' first presidential election victory came in 2005, when he won 53.7% of the vote. He was the first president to win an absolute majority in Bolivia in 40 years. Morales' presidency focused on the implementation of left-wing policies, aiming to improve the socioeconomic conditions of Bolivia's previously marginalized indigenous population. He also sought to reduce the country's dependence on foreign influence, particularly from the United States.

During his presidency, Morales increased taxation on the hydrocarbon industry to fund social spending, with a focus on combating illiteracy, poverty, and racial and gender discrimination. He also oversaw significant economic growth, poverty reduction, and increased investment in schools, hospitals, and infrastructure.

Morales' supporters laud him as a champion of indigenous rights, anti-imperialism, and environmentalism. However, critics argue that his policies did not always align with his rhetoric, and that his defense of coca production contributed to illegal cocaine manufacturing.

In 2019, Morales agreed to calls for his resignation following a disputed election, and he temporarily went into exile. He returned to Bolivia in 2020 after the election of President Luis Arce.

The military said it would not confront the people and would always ensure peace

The military's refusal to confront the people and its request for Morales to resign was a pivotal moment in Bolivian history. The armed forces' intervention in politics, specifically in asking Morales to step down, is a significant event that has sparked debates about democracy and the role of the military in the country. The military's actions can be understood in the context of the widespread protests and allegations of a disputed election.

The military's statement that they would not "confront the people" and their request for Morales' resignation were made during a period of political turmoil in Bolivia. The country had been grappling with weeks of protests following the disputed October 20 election, in which Morales was declared the winner. The opposition, led by Carlos Mesa, alleged that the election was fraudulent due to a 24-hour suspension of the live transmission of results, which ultimately gave Morales the required 10% lead to avoid a runoff. These allegations were supported by a report from the Organization of American States (OAS), which found serious irregularities in the voting process.

The military's decision to intervene was influenced by the escalating tensions and their desire to restore peace and stability in the country. General Williams Kaliman, the head of Bolivia's armed forces, stated that they had asked Morales to resign to help pacify the country and maintain stability. He added that the military had ordered operations to neutralise armed groups acting outside the law. The military's actions were not without precedent, as similar events had occurred in Latin America, such as the 2009 military coup in Honduras.

The response to the military's actions was mixed. Some popular movements, including the miners' union and the Bolivian Workers' Central, tentatively called on Morales to reflect on resigning if it was in the best interest of the country. However, others, including leftist commentators, denounced the military's intervention as a coup. They argued that the military's actions undermined democracy and empowered the worst elements of Bolivian society, including the far-right and oligarchic right-wing revanchist racism.

The resignation of Morales and his vice president, Álvaro García Linera, left a power vacuum in Bolivia. According to Bolivian law, the head of the Senate would typically take over provisionally, but the Senate President, Adriana Salvatierra, also stepped down. This led to uncertainty about who would lead the country, with legislators expected to agree on an interim commission or legislator to take temporary administrative control.

In conclusion, the military's refusal to confront the people and its request for Morales' resignation was a pivotal moment with far-reaching consequences for Bolivia. It highlighted the complex dynamics between the military, political leaders, and popular movements. The events also underscored the fragility of democracy in the country and the ongoing struggle for power and stability.

Morales resigned to protect the families of Movement for Socialism members

On 10 November 2019, after 21 days of civil protests following the disputed 2019 Bolivian general election, incumbent President Evo Morales resigned. Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, had claimed re-election in the October vote, but the opposition alleged fraud and protests against the president broke out. An audit by the Organization of American States (OAS) concluded there were irregularities in the vote and Morales quit after the military urged him to do so.

Morales himself stated that he was resigning to "protect the families" of Movement for Socialism members. He said that he believed Carlos Mesa had "achieved his objective", and asked rioters to "stop burning down the houses of [his] brothers and sisters". Morales' sister's home in Oruro was burned, and other regional governors had their homes torched as well.

Morales' resignation came after the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Bolivia, General Williams Kaliman, suggested that Morales resign to "help restore peace and stability" after weeks of protests over the vote. Kaliman added that the military was calling on the Bolivian people to refrain from violence and disorder, and that it would conduct operations to "neutralise" any armed groups that attacked the protesters.

Morales' resignation was also influenced by the fact that the two main civil groups of Bolivia, the Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) and the Single Trade Union Confederation of Workers (CSUTCB), had begun aligning themselves with the opposition to Morales. The leader of COB suggested Morales resign if it would help solve the violence, and called for new elections.

Morales' resignation paved the way for the ascension of the second vice president of the Senate, Jeanine Áñez, a fervent Catholic and lawyer from the northeastern region of Beni. Áñez, a member of a small far-right party, the Plan Progress for Bolivia-National Convergence (PPB-CN), proclaimed herself president on 12 November 2019.

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