The internal situation is on fire in Bolivia: Evo Morales was excluded from leading the movement towards socialism during the congress promoted by the followers of Luis Arce

In a new chapter of violent internal conflict rocking the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), Bolivia’s former Pres Evo Morales (2006-2019) He was excluded from the new national leadership of the ruling partyWhich was formed today, Sunday, in a conference promoted by government followers Luis ArceIn the city of El Alto.

He pointed out, “Evo Morales is the former president of the Movement Toward Socialism, and there is a new president who is my character.” Grover Garcia Who was elected as party leader and is a representative of the Confederation of United Trade Unions of Peasant Workers of Bolivia (Csutcb), an organization linked to the Bolivian government.

Garcia, after being sworn in as the new head of the Movement Towards Socialism, said this “Democracy and discrimination are over.” They will contact you within the next 90 days A conference to change the party’s statute in order to “re-establish” it.

More than 6,000 MAS fighters attended the “Héroes de Octubre” sports center in El Alto, a city neighboring El Paz, where after three days of meetings the ruling party elected a new board of directors, leaving former president Morales behind.

“I can’t be with his spirits Ivo“He is a former president and certainly should be in Chapare, and we will work with social organizations and strongly support the administration of Lucho (Arce),” Garcia told the media.

The new leader of the ruling party also expressed that “the mobilizations are against the people and against families and are incorrect,” in response to warnings from sectors close to Morales against… Blocking roads in protest Against the political meeting of those close to the president.

Morales and his followers described this government-promoted secret meeting as “illegal,” claiming that only the former president, as the maximum leader of the movement toward socialism, could convene it.

Morales had warned the previous day that he would be his party’s presidential candidate in the 2025 presidential elections. “By any means”This was during a message to his followers in the Cochabamba region.

The former president confirmed that he is qualified to run, despite… Plurinational Constitutional Court The Bolivian government issued a ruling in December stating this Indefinite elections are “not a human right”. This sentence indicates that A person can be president of the country for only two terms, whether continuously or intermittently. Meanwhile, Morales ruled for three terms: from 2006 to 2010, and from 2010 to 2014; From 2014 to 2019.

The former president also said he was supported and “defended” by “leftist governments in Latin America,” and referred to the presidents as his allies. Lula da Silvafrom Brazil and the dictator Nicolas Madurofrom Venezuela.

The Movement Toward Socialism bloc, which supports Morales, has called for its own conference to be held on July 10 in the town of Villa Tunari in the equatorial Cochabamba region, the former president’s main political and union stronghold.

Arce and Morales have been estranged since 2021, and their differences deepened last year due to holding a national party conference, in the absence of the president and sectors loyal to him. The former president was endorsed as a leader of the Movement Towards Socialism and was named the “sole candidate” For the 2025 elections.

Ars did not attend that meeting because the social organizations, the basis of the party, were not properly represented.

Tensions increased after the Supreme Electoral Court decided to cancel the 2023 conference and call for a new consensus conference, which the two pro-government factions did not agree on either.

(With information from EFE)