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Bolivia is consumed by a debate over whether President Morales was ousted in a coup, as he and his loyalists allege, or in a democratic uprising against his misrule
Link information
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- Title
- Bolivia's Evo Morales Wants to Stay in the Game
- Authors
- The New Yorker
- Word count
- 2024 words
I find it so strange that this isn't considered a coup by so many people and media outlets. Áñez is definitely president by illegitimate means as the article points out and she is not only there to call new elections as any interim president should in the circumstances, but she is giving immunity to armed forces, playing with international affairs and pushing the Bible down the parliament. And her party has something like 5% of the vote only!
Sure, Morales should not have been allowed to be a candidate after the lawful term limits. A judge should not have allowed it, in my opinion. But still, if the army chief ask the elected president to resign...
Also, as far as I've read, it's not clear that there was election fraud (OEA, based in Washington btw, says there was, I believe, but I've heard other reports didn't find such claims sound) and fresh supervised elections, which Morales accepted, should have been enough to reset the game.
I don't know what I'm missing in order no to call it a coup. Unless it's just pure manipulation.
I don't think that dragging people out of their houses and murdering them is a feature of democracy. Can we start doing that with Trump supporters? Of course not. Would it have been appropriate following the 2000 or 2004 elections? Hell no. So why is it appropriate in Bolivia?