Bolivia: Protests Paused, but Coup Regime on Notice
Susan Price
Following the adoption of a law to guarantee that elections take place before a hard deadline of October 18, the Bolivian Workers Centre (COB) voted to temporarily halt pro-democracy protests. However, the COB has vowed to mobilise again if the coup regime delays elections or refuses to leave power after their likely defeat at the polls.
After securing the deadline, the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) and the COB called for a pause in protests across the country on August 14, to avoid further bloodshed. However, in La Paz, despite appeals, the social movements have so far vowed to continue to mobilise until “coup president” Jeanine Añez is out.
According to Kawsachan News, the COB’s central offices in La Paz were attacked on August 14. Six explosions were heard and some union leaders were inside. The arsonists sprayed “Death to Evo” on a wall. The attack occurred just as the MAS called for peace after securing guarantees for the elections.
Meanwhile, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage Bolivia, there are new allegations that the coup regime paid vastly higher sums to purchase COVID-19 tests than they were charged by the supplier — leading to suspicions of theft. This follows an earlier corruption scandal where $4.7 million was paid for COVID-19 ventilators worth only $1.2 million.
(Susan Price is an Australian unionist and socialist for more than 20 years.)
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Bolivia: Congress Sets October 18 as Hard Deadline for Elections
Kerry Smith
Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext, the United States-backed regime in Bolivia has repeatedly postponed elections, which were originally scheduled to occur on March 3.
However, on August 13, Bolivia’s legislature enacted a law to set October 18 as the absolute deadline for holding presidential elections, according to TeleSUR English.
The law includes provisions to generate criminal consequences for anyone who attempts to postpone the date.
Social unrest began after the electoral institution, controlled by the coup-regime, led by Jeanine Añez, announced a new postponement of the election.
To avoid any changes that would allow Añez to extend her tenure in the interim presidency, the bill sets out October 18 as the “unpostponable and immovable” deadline.
This proposal came after a meeting was held on August 8 between representatives of the Legislative Assembly and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
In the midst of the massive protests that have blockaded the country’s main highways, the Añez regime has continued its persecution against Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) militants and sympathisers, charging them with offences such as genocide.
Despite the threats, social organisations are still in the streets, demanding the holding of elections to determine a new president, vice president and lawmakers.
Following the announcement of the new law, Bolivian Workers Center (COB) and social movement leaders said their bases would decide whether or not to maintain the protests.
(Article courtesy: Green Left Weekly, an Australian socialist publication.)
