Bolivian democracy has reached an important milestone with the successful realization of the general elections of August 17. The clouds that signed over the process – coupled by the dirty war and the partisan interests that are imposed on the common good – have dissipated thanks to the commitment of citizenship, which fulfilled their democratic duty in an exemplary way.
Now that a second round between Rodrigo Paz, of the Christian Democratic Party, and Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, of Alianza Libre, is the appropriate time to take a turn in the way of facing the campaign. The country needs serious proposals and concrete solutions, not attacks or disqualifications.
Bolivia is going through a deep socioeconomic crisis: uncontrolled inflation, fuel shortage and dollars, deterioration of public services, fiscal deficit, broken state companies and corruption that carries citizen trust. People voted with the hope that their daily problems will be treated; That mandate demands respect.
The country wants to leave behind the climate of confrontation and hate that marked the political cycle of movement to socialism. It also wants to overcome the internal tensions of the ruling party, which put at risk even the realization of these elections with blockages and violence. And he does not want to repeat the dirty campaign that was deployed on social networks, with audios and falsified videos, false accounts, influencers and even journalists who amplified toxic narratives.
This type of personal attacks, aimed at destroying the credibility of candidates rather than discussing ideas, undermines democracy and degrading politics.
It is also necessary to counteract the atmosphere of delegitimation encouraged by Evo Morales, whose call to the vote achieved a significant response, but which is far from expressing the feeling of the majority. At the same time, the opposition was not free of the baseness of the discredit campaigns: the disputes between Quiroga, Doria Medina, Paz and others showed fissures that, if extended, will only feed the confrontation.
The political climate is still tension. The electoral map of the first round shows a regional division: the East – which was once called as the ‘crescent’ – inclined towards more liberal proposals in Tuto and Samuel; and the West, towards more moderate options from Rodrigo Paz. The temptation to deepen that gap is great, but insisting on polarization would be to repeat the strategy that the most capitalized and that has done so much damage to the country. Bolivia needs its leaders to concentrate on what unites, not what it divides.
The two race games have a two -month campaign ahead to the second round, scheduled for October 19. It is enough time to discuss the great challenges: lithium and their industrialization, autonomies, judicial reform, political prisoners, accountability of those who ruled, and, above all, how to rebuild confidence in a weakened state. Needless to say the reconstruction of a dismantled economy.
It is no small thing that is at stake. The candidates and their teams must assume the campaign with maturity, responsibility and respect, while democratic institutions guarantee that no foreign actor tries to boycott the process.
Bolivia deserves a peaceful and transparent process, and a new government as of November 8 that returns hope to a people that, with patience and faith in democracy, deserves the best.
