Bolivia's Current Affairs: An In-Depth Exploration

Bolivia has been in a state of political turmoil since 2019, when President Evo Morales was forced to resign amid allegations of election fraud. Morales, the country's first indigenous leader, had a streak of winning elections since 2006 and was praised for his economic policies that prioritised the poor and indigenous. However, he was also accused of consolidating power and alienating a significant portion of society. His resignation sparked protests and clashes across the country, and even in neighbouring countries, with his supporters and opponents taking to the streets. The situation was further complicated by the involvement of the military, with some claiming it was a coup, and international reactions that highlighted the frenzied political atmosphere in South America. Bolivia's current situation reflects the deepening left-right divisions across the continent and the ongoing struggles between populist right-wing and left-wing leaders.

Evo Morales' resignation

Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous leader, resigned from his position as president in November 2019. Morales stepped down in a televised address, following weeks of protests over an allegedly rigged election and pressure from the military. Morales, who had been seeking a fourth term as president, stated that he was standing down to restore calm and that it was his "obligation as indigenous president and president of all Bolivians to seek peace".

Morales' resignation came after monitors from the Organization of American States published a report into the election, which found there had been "clear manipulation". Morales accepted the findings and agreed to new elections, but his position was deemed untenable after the commander of Bolivia's armed forces and the national police chief called for his resignation. Morales later claimed that he faced arrest unless he resigned, an allegation denied by the police.

Morales' departure left a volatile power vacuum, and violent clashes between pro-Morales and opposition supporters continued. Four of the top officials constitutionally mandated as successors to the presidency resigned alongside Morales, leaving second senate vice president Jeanine Añez Chávez next in line. Añez said she would assume the role with the goal of calling new elections within 90 days, but would need the support of the country's military to stabilise the transitional government.

Political chaos

Bolivia has been in a state of political chaos since the controversial 2019 election, which resulted in the resignation of President Evo Morales and the country being left officially leaderless. Morales, the country's first indigenous leader, was forced to leave power through a combination of protests and pressure from the military after being accused of election fraud. The election controversy centred around the decision of the country's Constitutional Court to allow Morales to run for president again, despite him having already served almost 14 years in power. When the vote count showed a win for Morales, there were claims of corruption from supporters of his opponent, Carlos Mesa. These claims were supported by a US-based election monitoring group, the Organisation of American States (OAS), which agreed there had been "manipulation" and called for the result to be cancelled.

Morales denied any wrongdoing but offered to rerun the elections and remove himself from the ballot. However, he eventually resigned after losing the support of Bolivia's armed forces, describing the situation as a "civilian coup". Morales's resignation sparked further unrest, with his supporters clashing with police, and reports of looting and vandalism. The country's political deadlock has been characterised by deepening left-right divisions, with populist right-wing leaders challenging left-wing leaders across the continent.

Morales's vice president, Alvaro Garcia Linera, and other senior figures from his Movement Towards Socialism party also offered their resignations, leaving a leadership vacuum in the country. The deputy head of Bolivia's Senate, Jeanine Áñez, offered to take over as interim president until fresh elections could be held. However, the atmosphere remained tense, with ongoing protests and demonstrations from both pro- and anti-Morales factions.

The political chaos in Bolivia has also been influenced by broader geopolitical dynamics, particularly the historical role of the United States in backing right-wing coups against left-wing governments in South America. The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, suggested that Morales should not run for office, echoing the findings of the OAS. The far-right president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, an ally of the US, celebrated Morales's removal, dismissing claims of a coup. In contrast, leftist presidents from Venezuela and Argentina condemned Morales's ousting, viewing it as a result of a coup. Mexico, which has a history of victimisation by the US, offered asylum to Morales and some Bolivian top officials.

The political chaos in Bolivia highlights the fragile nature of democracy in the region and the ongoing tensions between left- and right-wing forces. The country's path towards stability and a resolution to the leadership crisis remains uncertain, with ongoing protests and demonstrations reflecting the deep divisions within Bolivian society.

Indigenous people

Historically, indigenous people in Bolivia suffered marginalisation and a lack of representation. However, the late twentieth century saw a surge of political and social mobilisation in indigenous communities. The 1952 Bolivian National Revolution, which liberated Bolivians and gave indigenous peoples citizenship, did not provide much political representation to indigenous communities. It was not until the 1960s and 1970s that social movements such as the Katarista movement began to include indigenous concerns. Although the Katarista movement failed to create a national political party, it influenced many peasant unions.

In the 1990s, there was a large surge of political mobilisation for indigenous communities. President Sánchez de Lozada passed reforms such as the 1993 Law of Constitutional Reform to acknowledge indigenous rights in Bolivian culture and society. However, many of these reforms fell short as the government continued to pass destructive environmental and anti-indigenous rules and regulations. One of the main issues was the eradication of coca production, which was highly supported by the U.S. war on drugs and the Bolivian government, but spurred heavy protests by the indigenous community. One of the main leaders of the coca leaf movement, Evo Morales, became a vocal opponent against state efforts to eradicate coca. With Morales' leadership, the coca leaf producers were able to form coalitions with other social groups and eventually create a political party, the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS).

In 2009, Bolivia became the first plurinational state in South America, recognising the presence of the different communities that reside in Bolivia and giving indigenous peoples the right of self-governance and autonomy over their ancestral territories. In 2015, Bolivia elected its first indigenous president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Justice Pastor Cristina Mamani, a lawyer from the Aymara community.

Despite these successes, the country's indigenous peoples still face challenges, especially in terms of seismic work in search of new oil and gas reserves, and hydroelectric projects, which directly impact the people inhabiting the territory of the projects.

Environmental issues

Bolivia faces a range of environmental issues, from deforestation and biodiversity loss to climate change and pollution.

Deforestation

Bolivia has the 13th largest share of the world's forest cover, with 36.2 million hectares of primary forest in 2015, representing 2.8% of the worldwide total. However, both primary forest and overall forest cover have been declining in recent decades due to commercial agriculture, urbanization, colonization schemes, and illegal logging. Between 2006 and 2010, Bolivia lost approximately 200,000 hectares of rainforest per year, with Brazilian companies and farmers contributing significantly to deforestation through the establishment of industrial-scale soybean plantations. The growth of coca-leaf plantations has also led to large-scale deforestation, with an estimated 4 hectares of forest cleared for each hectare of coca cultivation.

Biodiversity Loss

Bolivia's biodiversity loss can be attributed to illegal wildlife trade, climate change, deforestation, and habitat destruction. Poor land management in the country's cattle ranching industry accounts for around 50% of habitat destruction. Rapid economic development has also led to increased cultivation of soybeans, production of fossil fuels, and illegal logging, further exacerbating habitat loss.

Climate Change

Bolivia is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to widespread poverty, its variety of ecosystems, weather extremes, melting glaciers, and high deforestation rates. The country has experienced an average annual temperature increase of 0.1 °C per decade since 1939, with more significant increases in the tropical Andes region. As a result, glaciers in the mountainous regions have retreated significantly, potentially impacting water availability in the country. Climate change has also led to more frequent and intense natural disasters, such as droughts and floods, with Bolivia ranking among the top 10 countries affected by natural disasters in 2007.

Pollution

A boom in small-scale gold mining has raised concerns about mercury pollution in Bolivia. Despite signing the Minamata Convention, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the effects of mercury, the country has done little to regulate its import or use. Mercury used in mining has contaminated air, water, and soil, impacting downstream villages and Indigenous communities. Additionally, rapid urbanization and industrialization have led to air pollution in cities, particularly in La Paz, El Alto, and Cochabamba, which are home to nearly 50% of the country's population.

Football

The Bolivia national football team, nicknamed La Verde, has represented the country in men's international football since 1926. They are one of ten members of FIFA's South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). Bolivia has participated in three World Cups (in 1930, 1950, and 1994), but have never advanced past the first round. In the 1994 World Cup, Bolivia lost to Germany, drew with South Korea, and lost to Spain, scoring their only World Cup goal through Erwin Sánchez.

Bolivia has had more success in the Copa América, winning in 1963 and finishing as runners-up in 1997, both on home soil. In 2015, Bolivia reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1997, and in 2024, they were defeated by Peru in the quarter-finals. In 1999, Bolivia participated in the FIFA Confederations Cup, their fourth FIFA tournament.

The U-17 Bolivian team has won one U-17 Copa América and participated in two FIFA U-17 World Cups. The Bolivian National sub-15 football team won gold at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

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