Evo Morales, still omnipresent in the Bolivian political arena

It was in the pouring rain, the gesture tired but the air triumphant, that Evo Morales entered La Paz on November 29. He gave himself a walkabout, at the end of a six-day march that he himself had called in “Government defense” of his dolphin, Luis Arce. “Here are your people, my brother Lucho, here are the people who will defend you “, he said to the president, who walked alongside him.

This show of force was the opportunity to show a photograph of the united majority, while dissensions were felt in the ranks. “Our request is that the right respect the more than 55% [des voix] from last year’s election [Luis Arce avait été élu avec 55,1 % des suffrages le 18 octobre 2020] and [n’]uses [pas]pretexts for “Conspire”, continued Evo Morales surrounded by his supporters, resuming one of his antiphons.

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To those who dreamed of his political death when he precipitately left power in November 2019, going into exile in Mexico and then in Argentina, the left-wing ex-president (2006-2019) has shown that the history of Bolivia cannot be written without it. “I will come back with more force”, had warned Evo Morales when leaving, on November 10, 2019, not doubting his fate.

TV and social networks

In recent weeks, Evo Morales has been everywhere: alongside President Arce, elected in October 2020, on the presidential platform, on national and international television sets … And even in Peru, a neighboring country, where he is increasing the number of stays to federate the regional left, stoking the anger of parliamentarians from the Peruvian right who accused him of“Interference” and declared “Persona non grata”.

Pushed to resign, after nearly fourteen years of leadership, by an opposition which accused him of having defrauded in the presidential election, Evo Morales went into exile for a year – the duration of the transitional government of Jeanine Añez -, before the return of his Movement towards Socialism (MAS) in power, in November 2020. He has never withdrawn from political life, however, commenting on the news, increasing the number of conferences and occupying social networks from Buenos Aires. Returning to the country after Luis Arce took office, he has since been appointed head of the MAS and occupies the front of the political and media scene, to the point of sometimes eclipsing his dolphin.

Admittedly, Evo Morales is not the same as two years ago. Weakened, he is plagued by criticism within his own party. Some would like it to make room for others. And hasn’t the election of Luis Arce shown that the MAS can win elections without him – something unthinkable just two years ago?

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