Exploring The Intriguing Meanings Of 21F In Bolivia

On 21 February 2016, a referendum was held in Bolivia to decide whether to amend the constitution to allow President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term in office. The referendum, known as 21F, resulted in a narrow victory for the No campaign, with 51.3% of voters opposing the amendment. This event sparked ongoing debates about democracy and political participation in Bolivia, with supporters and detractors of Morales taking to the streets to express their views. The referendum also brought attention to issues of political polarisation, the role of the media, and the impact of external influences on Bolivia's political landscape.

The 21F referendum was held on 21 February 2016

The referendum itself, which took place on a Sunday, saw a slim majority of Bolivian voters (51.3%) decide against the amendment, preventing Morales from running for a fourth term. This outcome was a significant blow to Morales, who had already been elected three times, and it sparked a series of events that would continue to shape Bolivian politics in the coming years.

In the aftermath of the referendum, Bolivia found itself in a state of political flux. Morales initially accepted the result but later changed his mind, throwing his hat into the ring for the 2019 election after the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal struck down term limits in November 2017. This decision was controversial and led to protests from opposition groups, who felt that Morales was overstepping his mandate and disregarding the will of the people.

The referendum and its aftermath highlighted a deep divide in Bolivian society, with some supporting Morales' right to continue his progressive policies, while others believed that his potential re-election would undermine democratic principles. This divide was evident in the close referendum result and the subsequent protests and counter-protests that took place across the country.

The 21F referendum, therefore, became a pivotal moment in Bolivian politics, shaping the country's future and sparking ongoing debates about the role of democracy, the limits of presidential power, and the rights of indigenous peoples in the country.

51.3% of voters decided Evo Morales could not run for a third term

In Bolivia, 21F is a reference to 21 February 2016, when a slim majority (51.3%) of voters decided against allowing President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term. This decision was made during a referendum, and the aftermath of this vote has left a nation engaged in a lasting debate.

The referendum result was that 51.3% of voters decided Evo Morales could not run for a third term, and instead, 48.7% were in favour of him running for a fourth term. This was a highly controversial decision, and the campaigns leading up to the referendum were polarising and divisive. Morales himself claimed that the result represented merely the 'first half', and that the second was yet to come. He also stated that he had been the victim of a 'dirty war' on social media and vowed to continue the struggle.

The anniversary of the vote has been labelled by some as the 'Día de la Mentira' (Day of the Lie) and by others as the 'Día de la Democracia' (Day of Democracy). The public remains divided between those who believe Morales was the victim of a smear campaign and those who believe he was the architect of a conspiracy to devalue the referendum result.

The Bolivian government held a referendum in 2016 to allow Morales to seek a fourth term in office. Citizens voted against this measure in a process that international observers deemed mostly fair and free. However, in November 2017, the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal struck down the constitution's ban on term limits, stating that term limits violate an article of the American Convention on Human Rights that guarantees a right to political participation. On 4 December, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal approved Morales' petition to run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019.

Morales initially said he would not seek re-election

On 21 February 2016, Bolivian citizens voted in a referendum on whether to allow President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term in office. A slim majority (51.3%) voted against the proposal. Morales, however, had initially stated that he would not seek re-election.

Morales, the leader of the Movement Toward Socialism Party (MAS), had already been elected to a third term in 2014, in a process that was deemed free but whose fairness was questioned by international observers. In 2016, Morales sought to amend the constitution to allow him to run for a fourth term. Despite the referendum result, Morales continued to pursue his goal of re-election. In November 2017, the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal struck down the constitution's ban on term limits, ruling that term limits violate the right to political participation guaranteed by the American Convention on Human Rights. This controversial decision paved the way for Morales to run for re-election.

Morales's pursuit of a fourth term was met with opposition and sparked protests. Citizens took to the streets, expressing their dissatisfaction through a national strike, marches, and blockades. The referendum anniversary on 21 February 2017 saw competing marches, with Morales supporters converging to show their support for the president, while opponents defended their right to a respected democratic voice.

The referendum and its aftermath highlighted a divided nation, with supporters and opponents of Morales presenting alternative narratives and interpretations of the events. The controversy centred on allegations made by Gabriela Zapata, who claimed that Morales had fathered her son. The truth remained elusive, as Zapata later retracted her claims, and the case failed to provide a clear resolution.

Morales's persistence in seeking re-election despite the referendum result and the polarising campaigns underscored a complex political landscape in Bolivia, with ongoing debates about the role and limits of presidential power.

Morales changed his mind after a court ruled in November 2017 that officials could run for three consecutive terms

The date 21F in Bolivia refers to 21 February 2016, when a slim majority of voters decided against allowing President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term. Morales, however, relentlessly sought to overturn this referendum result.

In November 2017, the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal controversially struck down the constitution's ban on term limits, stating that term limits violate an article of the American Convention on Human Rights that guarantees a right to political participation. This ruling allowed Morales to petition to run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019, which was approved by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on 4 December 2019.

Morales's persistence in seeking re-election despite the referendum result was met with protests. Citizens took to the streets on 21 February 2017, a year after the referendum, to express their dissatisfaction. There were also several demonstrations throughout the year defending the "21F" movement, which opposed Morales's continued candidacy and rejected the constitutional change that ended presidential term limits.

Morales's supporters, however, also took to the streets on 21F to show their support for him. They believed that the referendum result was the consequence of a dirty war on social media and that Morales was the victim of a conspiracy to devalue the referendum result.

The referendum was a defeat for Morales, the first in ten years

On 21 February 2016, a slim majority of Bolivian voters decided against allowing President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term in office. This was the first defeat for Morales in ten years.

Morales had already been elected three times. The first time, in 2006, is not counted as it was before the two-term limit was introduced by the 2009 constitution. The referendum was held to amend Article 168 of the Constitution, which would have allowed Morales to run for a third consecutive term under the 2009 Constitution (or a fourth consecutive term, including the pre-2009 term).

Morales initially said he would abstain from running for a fourth term, but he threw his hat into the ring after the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal struck down the constitution's ban on term limits in November 2017. The court ruled that term limits violate an article of the American Convention on Human Rights that guarantees a right to political participation. On 4 December 2017, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal approved Morales' petition to run for a fourth consecutive term in 2019.

The referendum defeat was a blow to Morales, who had overseen enormous transformations in Bolivia. Under his leadership, the Andean nation had nationalized hydrocarbons, reduced poverty from 60% to less than 40%decreased the rate of illiteracy from 13% to 3%

Despite these achievements, the referendum defeat highlighted the routinization of Morales' leadership, the impact of media attacks, and the quotidian debates and their processes. Additionally, it has been suggested that the fact that Evo Morales is the first indigenous person to reach the Palacio Quemado may have contributed to the referendum result. The empowerment of indigenous majorities, who had been excluded for centuries and were now embodied in a constitution that recognized them, was an internationally distinguished characteristic of a revolutionary process.

In the years following the referendum, Bolivia continued to be a nation engaged in lasting debate. On the second anniversary of the referendum, citizens took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with Morales' re-election bid through a national strike, marches, and blockades. Morales supporters also held rallies, defending the president's right to run for re-election and celebrating the Day of Democracy, which marks the end of an 18-year-long military dictatorship in the country.

The referendum defeat was a significant setback for Morales and his party, the Movement for Socialism (MAS). However, with three years until the next election, there was still time for MAS to regroup and find a new candidate to lead the party into the 2019 election.

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