Juan Evo Morales Ayma - Presidency
Those who are against Morales are extremely against him. Since 2003 Bolivia was ruled by the streets. Opposition-led demonstrations in October 2003 in the capitol city of La Paz resulted in the death of a number of participants and to the flight into exile of President Gonzalo Sanchez Lozada. As a consequence, his successor, Carlos Mesa, governed in uneasy alliance with the indigenous supporters of Evo Morales, whose peasant roots in the Andean heartland of Bolivia gave his political message resonance in a region filled with impoverished farmers. His Movement to Socialism (MAS) party was soon the largest political force in the country.
Morales comes from the Chapare province, an area characterized by the cultivation of coca. Self-made, informally educated, and with limited political experience, he ran for congress in 1997 and won, receiving one of the highest votes of confidence in this election as well. Morales led the Coca Growers Federation. In that role, he revived labor-peasant militancy and radicalism and brought the movement to national prominence.
On December 18, 2005, the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) candidate Juan Evo Morales Ayma was elected to the presidency by 54% of the voters. Morales won the December 2005 election by convincing, not only the poor and the indigenous to vote for him, but also a majority of the middle-class. Sick of the corruption by the established parties and thinking it would be better to have Morales in the government than on the streets made them decide to give him the opportunity to start his ´social revolution´.
Many of the circumstances which led to Chavez's election in Venezuela also exist in Bolivia. When Chavez was elected in 1998, Venezuela suffered from weak political parties, widespread perceptions of inequality in wealth distribution, poor economic conditions (in part due to low oil prices in 1998), and a collective sense that the entire political system was corrupt.
Bolivia’s first president to represent the indigenous majority, Morales continued to serve as leader of the country’s coca unions. During his campaign, Morales vowed to nationalize hydrocarbons and to empower the indigenous population. Morales was highly critical of what he termed “neo-liberal” economic policies. On January 22, 2006, Morales and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera were inaugurated.
On May 1, 2006, the government issued a decree nationalizing the hydrocarbons sector and calling for the renegotiation of contracts with hydrocarbons companies. Morales promoted greater state control of natural resource industries, particularly hydrocarbons and mining, and of the telecommunications sector (see Economy section). These policies pleased Morales’ supporters but complicated Bolivia’s relations with some of its neighboring countries, foreign investors, and members of the international community.
Fulfilling another campaign promise, Morales convoked a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. Early results in the July 2006 election to this assembly indicated that President Morales' Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party won around 52 percent of Constituent Assembly representatives, followed by Podemos with 23 percent and the National Unity party with 4 percent, with the vote largely divided along east-west lines.
Evo Morales' election in December 2005 was a political earthquake in Bolivia, sweeping aside political expectations that have defined Bolivian politics for generations and at the same time breaking open fissures and offering up new possibilities. While President Morales' popularity has risen and fallen since his election, his popularity surged since the hydrocarbons nationalization and his successful use of political hardball tactics to overcome an opposition-imposed blockade of the senate. By the end of 2006, the traditional opposition appeared to be crumbling.
The assembly convened on August 6, 2006, and planned to complete its work by August 2007; however, the Congress extended its mandate to December 2007 after the assembly faced political deadlock over its voting rules. The MAS approved a constitution without the opposition vote in November 2007, in a controversial assembly session in which opposition delegates were blocked from voting by demonstrators and the armed forces. On December 14, 2007, Morales presented the constitutional text to the National Congress to request a referendum for its approval in 2008. The opposition-controlled Senate prevented the referendum legislation from moving forward.
Throughout 2008, members of the Morales government made public allegations that US Ambassador Goldberg's "Balkan separatist expertise" from his tour in Kosovo was evidence of his intent to divide Bolivia. The four eastern departments held a referendum for greater local authonomy on May 4th 2008, all approved a ´yes´ in the unofficial referenda. Unofficial, because the government didn’t recognize them and called them illegal. Political tensions between the government and the opposition over the new constitution, autonomy statutes passed by some departmental legislatures, and disputes over the division of tax proceeds from the hydrocarbon industry led to civil unrest, which culminated in violent discord in August and September 2008 in eastern departments. These events, referred to as the "coup civico-prefectural", commenced in date 9 September 2008. Bolivia was on the verge of a coup d’état, prompted by Governors ofDepartments opposed to President Morales (Curiously not favored by the military but by civilian authorities legitimately elected by the people).
On October 21, 2008, with a crowd of at least 50,000 pro-government supporters surrounding the National Congress, the government and congressional opposition agreed on final draft text for the new constitution. Voters approved the new constitution on January 25, 2009, and it entered into force on February 7, 2009. The new constitution called for national elections to be held in December.
President Morales was re-elected on December 6, 2009, with 64% of the vote, followed by former Cochabamba Prefect Manfred Reyes Villa (27%) and business leader Samuel Doria Medina (6%). The ruling MAS party won 88 out of 130 deputy races and 26 out of 36 Senate seats, gaining a two-thirds majority of the Plurinational Assembly.
After re-election, President Morales prioritized implementation of the new constitution. Morales and Vice President Garcia Linera pledged to move the country toward "communitarian socialism," with an "integrated" economic system featuring a strong state presence. The Morales administration promised greater investment in infrastructure, education, health, and a "great leap forward" in industrialization (including development of lithium reserves and the country's first satellite).
The 2009 constitution included mandates for implementing legislation, including five major pieces of legislation by July 2010. Required legislation included bills to codify and coordinate interactions between the co-equal "ordinary" and indigenous justice systems; reform and restructure the country's Supreme Court, Constitutional Tribunal, and National Electoral Court (considered the fourth branch of government); and define the roles and responsibilities of the central government and four autonomy levels: departmental, regional, municipal, and indigenous.
On 24 February 2010 Evo Morales won a landslide re-election victory in the presidential vote. The election followed the ratification of the constitutional amendment earlier in the year that allowed Morales to run for another term. Unofficial results showed Mr. Morales taking at least 63 percent of the votes, more than 35 percentage points ahead of his closest challenger, former governor Manfred Reyes. Analysts said the victory means he will likely continue leftist reforms aimed at greater government control over the economy and social spending programs for the poor.
Bolivian voters also chose a new Congress. Unofficial results showed President Morales' Movement Toward Socialism party easily winning a majority in both Bolivia's Senate and lower house. Morales would have the numbers in Congress to pass legislation without negotiating with the opposition. During his first term in office, Morales increased state control over Bolivia's mining and energy sectors. A strong economy and social programs are cited as the basis of popular support for the 50-year-old former coca farmer.
On December 26, 2010, the Morales administration removed subsidies for gasoline overnight. Gas prices rose 73% and, following nationwide protests over the “gasolinazo,” Morales reintroduced the subsidies. Morales’ popularity also was affected by police intervention in a march by lowland indigenous persons on September 25, 2011 protesting the development of a road through their protected territory. On October 16, 2011, the government held popular elections for the four highest judicial courts in the country. A majority of votes were returned null or blank due to frustrations over campaign restrictions, the recent police intervention, and complicated ballots.
President Morales held a national summit in late 2011 and early 2012 to formulate a new set of laws to address foreign investment, the hydrocarbon industry, and other issues. On January 23, 2012 Morales announced a round of cabinet changes, removing seven ministers and replacing two others in his 20-person cabinet. Morales organized a new holiday, the National Day of Coca Chewing, to protest the UN’s refusal to remove coca leaves from Schedule 1 of the 1961 Single Convention on narcotics.
On 31 October 2012 Bolivian President Evo Morales offered Sean Penn the post of honorary ambassador for coca legalization issues, but it was not clear whether the Hollywood star has accepted the offer. Penn’s opinion on one of his potential ambassadorial duties, overseeing a settlement of Bolivia’s territorial dispute with Chile, is also a question mark. The dispute stems from the war the two countries fought in 1879-1904, which resulted in Bolivia losing its outlet to the Pacific Ocean.
In 2013 the Supreme Court decreed his 2006-09 period in office should not be counted as a first term as it preceded the adoption of the 2009 constitution, which allows a president two consecutive terms in office. President Evo Morales would run for re-election in October 2014, the vice president of the ruling party said on 14 July 2014. President Morales' left-wing economic policy had been blended with nationalist rhetoric and a focus on indigenous rights and the environment. Despite averaging five-percent growth each year under the Morales' government, Bolivia remained one of the poorest countries in South America.
On 12 October 2014 Bolivian President Evo Morales declared victory in his bid for a third five-year term in office. Exit polls showed Morales winning about 60 percent of Sunday's vote. His closest challenger, businessman Samuel Doria Medina, had 24 percent. But the ruling Movement Toward Socialism party appeared to have failed to retain the two-thirds control of Congress needed to push through its agenda.
The Bolivian constitution allowed for the President and Vice-President to run for re-election only one time. In September 2015, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional) adopted Law 757 to convene a referendum to remove the presidential and vice-presidential term limits. If the referendum was approved, President Evo MORALES and Vice-President Álvaro GARCÍA Linera would be allowed to run for re-election in 2019.
Bolivians held a national referendum 21 February 2016 to decide whether a two-term limit for presidents and vice presidents should be amended. In order to be adopted, at least 50% of valid votes must be cast in favor of the referendum provision, and at least 50% of the electorate must participate in the referendum.
Allowing Morales to win a third term — as he almost certainly would — was too much for the opposition, whom Morales' administration is accusing of launching a smear campaign against him. Social media users and opposition groups in Bolivia launched a coordinated campaign on social media in efforts to undermine the Bolivian president, Evo Morales, leading up to the country’s national referendum. President Morales denied all the allegations.
In early February 2016 President Morales revealed that in 2007 he had a child that died shortly after it was born. Shortly after the announcement, rumors circulated via online media outlets accusing President Morales of having provided his ex-partner, Gabriela Zapata, with favors as a result of their personal connection. Morales’ ex-partner, Gabriela Zapata, faced allegations of influence-peddling for the Chinese company CAMC Engineering of which she was commercial director. Morales denied that CAMCE is undertaking any influence-peddling with Chinese companies.
Exit polls showed Morales lost the vote. An Ipsos poll had the "no" side at 52.3 percent and "yes" at 47.7 percent, while a Mori poll gave a narrower 51 percent to 49 percent lead to the "no." Early official results had the "no" side winning with 66 percent of votes, although that covered only 3 percent of returns.
Morales said the right-wing opposition was celebrating too early by saying he was defeated in the referendum. The leader called on his supporters to be patient and wait for the final results. He also praised the participation of people in rural areas, since they are committed to defend the revolutionary process in Bolivia. Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera warned that the preliminary results of the country’s national referendum, showing a narrow lead for the “No” vote, are likely to change as the remote and isolated communities where the ruling party enjoys the most support are taken into the consideration in the official vote count.
A final tally of the referendum gave the "no" side 51.3 percent of the vote and the "yes" side's 48.7 percent. On 24 February 2016 Bolivian President Evo Morales acknowledged defeat. Morales said he would respect the will of the people. "We lost a democratic battle but not the war," the leftist leader said, blaming the loss on discrimination and a smear campaign or "dirty war" by the right-wing opposition.
Morales, who led the country for almost 14 years as the first indigenous president, sparked a widespread backlash in 2019 when he ran for an unprecedented fourth term in the face of term limits and a national referendum. After claiming victory in that election, Morales was eventually forced to resign amid angry protests, and the police and military eventually dropping their support for him. He fled the country and a conservative interim government took over. As heir apparent to Morales, Luis Arce scored a resounding first-round victory in the 18 October 2020 elections, outpolling his chief challenger, centrist Carlos Mesa, by 26 points.
Concerning the October 2019 presidential elections, Morales reaffirmed his victory in the first round despite fraud accusations, which were encouraged by the Organization of American States (OAS). "We won in the first round. According to the OAS, however, winning with a wide margin is electoral fraud... the OAS said there was fraud because in 225 tables the MAS obtained between 70 and 90 percent of the votes. In rural areas, we even obtained more... The real fraud is the OAS report."
The CEO of the U.S.-based Telsa car manufacturer admitted to involvement in what President Morales referred to as a “Lithium Coup.” “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.” was Elon Musk’s response to an accusation on twitter that the US government organized a coup against President Evo Morales, so that Musk could obtain Bolivia’s lithium. Foreign plunder of Bolivia’s lithium, in a country with the world’s largest known reserves, is widely believed to be among the main motives behind the November 10, 2019 coup.
When a new election took place in October 2020, Luis Arce, an ally of Morales, was elected the winner in a landslide. Elections in Bolivia take place every five years. Presidential candidates must win at least 50 per cent of the vote, or secure at least 40 percent with a 10-point margin over the closest competitor, to claim an outright victory. If this does not happen, a run-off takes place.
Former longtime Bolivian leader Evo Morales crossed the border back into Bolivia on 09 November 2020, ending a year in exile, after a close ally and member of his MAS socialist party was sworn in as president. Morales, who led Bolivia for almost 14 years as the first indigenous president, entered the country from Argentina after a farewell ceremony presided over by Argentine President Alberto Fernandez. Morales, who left Bolivia under a cloud in November 2019 after international observers cited irregularities in an election that gave him a fourth term in office, said that being able to return filled him "with happiness." "Today is one of the most important days of my life, to be returning to the country that I love so much fills me with happiness," he wrote. New President Luis Arce has said that Morales will play no role in his government.
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