Bolivia: Movement Towards Socialism’s Evo Morales Faction Expels Luis Arce

Resumen, September 5, 2024 —

The Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) faction, which supports former Bolivian president Evo Morales (2006-2019), decided to “definitively expel” from the party the current president, Luis Arce (photo), and his vice, David Choquehuanca. In an expanded national meeting held last Tuesday in Villa Tunari, Morales ratified the decision taken by the MAS militancy, arguing that the behavior of both is no longer compatible with the principles of the party.

“The behavior of Lucho-David is no longer that of a militant. Yesterday such repression to the Ponchos Rojos, who are only asking that their union headquarters be respected. Instead they face repression, injuries and taken by the police. I think that the expulsion of the political instrument is justified,” said Morales while reading the conclusions of the expanded meeting in Villa Tunari, central zone of the Tropic of Cochabamba, one of the main coca-growing areas of the country and the political stronghold of the former president, who is seeking re-election.

As Morales recalled, the idea of expelling Arce and Choquehuanca had already been supported months ago during a meeting in the coliseum of La Coronilla, in Cochabamba. However, on that occasion, Morales chose not to include the expulsion in the final conclusions, hoping that there was still a possibility of reconciliation within the party. “I thought I could still come back, and nothing would beworse,” he admitted.

Arce and Choquehuanca, argued the majority faction of MAS in its resolution, were expelled “for having betrayed the Bolivian people and the Process of Change; for not making organic life in the Instrument; for having betrayed the Homeland by allowing the return of the North American operative arms such as the CIA, DEA and USAID; for converting to neoliberalism; for having destroyed the economy (…); for viciously repressing the original indigenous peasant movement and converting the headquarters into police posts”.

After the expulsion, the MAS militancy ratified Morales as president of the party and proclaimed him “sole candidate” for the 2025 elections. Now it remains to be seen if the Bolivian justice recognizes the validity of the congress in which this decision was taken, something that was previously rejected.

Tuesday’s meeting between the “evista” sectors also called for a walk on September 17 from the town of Caracollo, in the Andean region of Oruro, to La Paz to demand the Government to meet their demands, among them, the validation of the MAS congress held in 2023, where Morales was elected as the party’s authority. The former president said that “the time has come to meet the people respect” and announced that the march will arrive to La Paz on September 23 to hold a “great meeting” or concentration.

Morales promised other measures of force in case the Arce government insists on its position. “If the government does not respond (…) a national road blockade is justified,” warned the former president.

Arce, for his part, has also tried to run Morales out of the presidential race with different mechanisms. “Before those who bet on hate, lies, violence and confrontation between Bolivians seeking to convulse the country for electoral ambitions, our response will always be more work and management in favor of the Bolivian people,” he published on Tuesday, after his expulsion was confirmed.

In addition, this week Arce informed that he will insist on holding a referendum to consult the citizens whether they agree or not to modify the Constitution to establish that presidents and vice presidents can only be reelected once, even if the terms are discontinuous, something that “evismo” sees as one more trick to prevent Morales’ return.

Currently, article 168 of the Magna Carta, sanctioned during Morales’ first presidency, establishes that the term of office of President and Vice President “is five years, and they can be reelected only once in a continuous manner”. This leaves open the possibility of reelection in discontinuous mandates”.

Arce and Morales have been confronting each other for many months. One of the strongest clashes occurred last June, when a faction of the Army installed a tank in front of the Government headquarters under the threat of a coup d’état, which led to cross accusations between the former president and the current president.