(Caracollo) In revolt against Bolivian President Luis Arce, his predecessor Evo Morales and thousands of supporters began a march on Tuesday towards the capital La Paz, an action against a backdrop of economic crisis denounced by the authorities as an attempted “coup d’état”.
“Unfortunately, the president [Arce] and the vice president [David Choquehuanca] “They have abandoned us, betrayed us, through mismanagement and corruption,” said Evo Morales before launching his “march to save Bolivia” in the town of Caracollo, 190 km south of La Paz.
Several thousand people, waving Bolivian flags, wiphalas – the multi-coloured checkered symbol of the indigenous peoples of the Andes – and the blue, black and white flags of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party, want to reach the capital on Monday.
The protesters, who are officially protesting dollar and fuel shortages, chanted “Lucho [Luis Arce]the people are angry” or “Urgent, Evo president”. During a religious ceremony, they asked for the blessing of Pachamama (Mother Earth).
PHOTO AIZAR RALDES, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales (center)
Evo Morales, former leader of Bolivia (2006-2019) and president of the MAS, wants to run again in the next presidential election scheduled for August 2025, although the courts have forbidden him to do so. However, he is trying, with the support of a wing of his party, to force the courts to give in.
Luis Arce and Evo Morales are members of the same party, which will have to nominate a single candidate. Mr. Arce has not yet said whether he wants to run again, but tensions between the two men are high and the battle for the leadership of the Movement is raging.
On Monday, supporters of Mr Morales began blocking access to the famous Lake Titicaca, a gigantic expanse of water shared by Bolivia and Peru.
“You threaten us […] with blockages because you want to do what the Constitution forbids you: be a candidate again,” President Arce told his rival on Sunday.
“You will launch a march in the coming days, which will become a national road blockade and which will end in a coup d’état against a popular government,” he added.