Former Bolivian President Evo Morales attends a press conference on January 19, 2020 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo: Matias Baglietto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Feb 20, 2020
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales on Friday accused the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal of being "afraid of democracy" after the seven-member body late Thursday barred Morales from running for Senate on the grounds that he did not meet residency requirements.
Morales, who is currently living in Argentina after being ousted in a military coup last November, said during a press conference in Buenos Aires on Friday that the tribunal's decision was "illegal and unconstitutional" and alleged the U.S. government was involved in the ruling.
In a tweet Thursday night, Morales called the decision a "blow to democracy."
"The members of the TSE know I meet the requirements to be a candidate," added Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president. The former president claimed that the ultimate goal of the current right-wing government of Jeanine Anez is to ban the Movement for Socialism (MAS), Morales' left-wing political party.
In December, the Anez government issued an arrest warrant against Morales, accusing the former president of "terrorism and sedition."
\u201cBolivia's only elected president, Evo Morales, characterized his ban from running as a Senate candidate as an assault on democracy. "They are afraid of democracy," he said in a presser in Buenos Aires. He accused the Electoral Court of submitting to the dictatorship and US gov't.\u201d— Ben Norton (@Ben Norton) 1582298627
Bolivian elections are set for May 3, the first contest since the November coup that deposed Morales and paved the way for Anez to declare herself interim president. Bolivian lawmakers in November approved a measure calling for the new elections and barring Morales from participating.
Anez announced last month that her name will be on the presidential ballot in May after previously suggesting it would be improper for her to run.
A poll by Ciesmori released earlier this week found that Luis Arce, the MAS presidential candidate, is leading the presidential field with 31.6 percent support. Former Bolivian President Carlos Mesa polled in second place with 17% support and Anez ranked third with 16% support.
The ouster of Morales in November was followed by massive military and police repression of indigenous Bolivians, who took to the streets among others to voice opposition to the right-wing government. Days after declaring herself interim president on Nov. 12, Anez issued a decree shielding military and law enforcement from prosecution for gunning down demonstrators.
Earlier this week, Morales tweeted that in just three months in power the Anez government has "destroyed" the economic and social welfare policies he put in place during his nearly 14 years as president.
"This situation hurts us a lot," Morales said. "They want to get rid of all our social programs and privatize them."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales on Friday accused the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal of being "afraid of democracy" after the seven-member body late Thursday barred Morales from running for Senate on the grounds that he did not meet residency requirements.
Morales, who is currently living in Argentina after being ousted in a military coup last November, said during a press conference in Buenos Aires on Friday that the tribunal's decision was "illegal and unconstitutional" and alleged the U.S. government was involved in the ruling.
In a tweet Thursday night, Morales called the decision a "blow to democracy."
"The members of the TSE know I meet the requirements to be a candidate," added Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president. The former president claimed that the ultimate goal of the current right-wing government of Jeanine Anez is to ban the Movement for Socialism (MAS), Morales' left-wing political party.
In December, the Anez government issued an arrest warrant against Morales, accusing the former president of "terrorism and sedition."
\u201cBolivia's only elected president, Evo Morales, characterized his ban from running as a Senate candidate as an assault on democracy. "They are afraid of democracy," he said in a presser in Buenos Aires. He accused the Electoral Court of submitting to the dictatorship and US gov't.\u201d— Ben Norton (@Ben Norton) 1582298627
Bolivian elections are set for May 3, the first contest since the November coup that deposed Morales and paved the way for Anez to declare herself interim president. Bolivian lawmakers in November approved a measure calling for the new elections and barring Morales from participating.
Anez announced last month that her name will be on the presidential ballot in May after previously suggesting it would be improper for her to run.
A poll by Ciesmori released earlier this week found that Luis Arce, the MAS presidential candidate, is leading the presidential field with 31.6 percent support. Former Bolivian President Carlos Mesa polled in second place with 17% support and Anez ranked third with 16% support.
The ouster of Morales in November was followed by massive military and police repression of indigenous Bolivians, who took to the streets among others to voice opposition to the right-wing government. Days after declaring herself interim president on Nov. 12, Anez issued a decree shielding military and law enforcement from prosecution for gunning down demonstrators.
Earlier this week, Morales tweeted that in just three months in power the Anez government has "destroyed" the economic and social welfare policies he put in place during his nearly 14 years as president.
"This situation hurts us a lot," Morales said. "They want to get rid of all our social programs and privatize them."
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales on Friday accused the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal of being "afraid of democracy" after the seven-member body late Thursday barred Morales from running for Senate on the grounds that he did not meet residency requirements.
Morales, who is currently living in Argentina after being ousted in a military coup last November, said during a press conference in Buenos Aires on Friday that the tribunal's decision was "illegal and unconstitutional" and alleged the U.S. government was involved in the ruling.
In a tweet Thursday night, Morales called the decision a "blow to democracy."
"The members of the TSE know I meet the requirements to be a candidate," added Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president. The former president claimed that the ultimate goal of the current right-wing government of Jeanine Anez is to ban the Movement for Socialism (MAS), Morales' left-wing political party.
In December, the Anez government issued an arrest warrant against Morales, accusing the former president of "terrorism and sedition."
\u201cBolivia's only elected president, Evo Morales, characterized his ban from running as a Senate candidate as an assault on democracy. "They are afraid of democracy," he said in a presser in Buenos Aires. He accused the Electoral Court of submitting to the dictatorship and US gov't.\u201d— Ben Norton (@Ben Norton) 1582298627
Bolivian elections are set for May 3, the first contest since the November coup that deposed Morales and paved the way for Anez to declare herself interim president. Bolivian lawmakers in November approved a measure calling for the new elections and barring Morales from participating.
Anez announced last month that her name will be on the presidential ballot in May after previously suggesting it would be improper for her to run.
A poll by Ciesmori released earlier this week found that Luis Arce, the MAS presidential candidate, is leading the presidential field with 31.6 percent support. Former Bolivian President Carlos Mesa polled in second place with 17% support and Anez ranked third with 16% support.
The ouster of Morales in November was followed by massive military and police repression of indigenous Bolivians, who took to the streets among others to voice opposition to the right-wing government. Days after declaring herself interim president on Nov. 12, Anez issued a decree shielding military and law enforcement from prosecution for gunning down demonstrators.
Earlier this week, Morales tweeted that in just three months in power the Anez government has "destroyed" the economic and social welfare policies he put in place during his nearly 14 years as president.
"This situation hurts us a lot," Morales said. "They want to get rid of all our social programs and privatize them."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.