Juan Perez Munguia / La Paz
At least six facts show that the leadership of former President Evo Morales is weakening both within the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) and outside that party. The questions to the former president became evident in the struggle that emerged in search of adjustments in the cabinet of President Luis Arce.
The first fact: on November 22, 2021, Morales was declared persona non grata by the Foreign Relations Commission of the Peruvian Congress. In December, the meeting of the Runasur in Cusco was suspended -an appointment promoted by Morales-, amid questions from politicians, former military chiefs and former foreign ministers, and the publication of reports that reveal political activity by former authorities, militants and related to the blue party.
The second fact: on December 30, the former president proposed to the Executive to influence a more political cabinet. Even those close to him requested the return of former ministers Juan Ramón Quintana and Carlos Romero. However, despite insisting and the meetings he had with President Luis Arce, there was no change of Cabinet on January 22.
The third fact: in the meantime of the struggle for adjustments in the Cabinet, members of the ruling party such as the Vice Minister of Coordination and Government Management, Freddy Bobaryn; the president of Generation Choquehuanca, Carlos Nina; and deputy Rolando Cuéllar questioned Morales’ leadership, and defended Vice President David Choquehuanca who suffered an onslaught from Evismo.
The fourth fact: on January 25, the former national director of the Special Force to Fight Drug Trafficking Maximiliano Dávila, accused by the DEA of trafficking in controlled substances, before entering the San Pedro prison came out in defense of what he called “ President Morales.”
The fifth fact: the president of Peru, Pedro Castillo, in an interview last week, denied being of the political line of the former Bolivian president.
The sixth fact: Choquehuanca, on Sunday, indicated that there are groups in the MAS that want to divide and “continue managing” the sectors of La Paz. “From La Paz we have to project unity, from the Aymaras, Tiwanaku, Lake Titicaca…”, he emphasized.
Evo without political power?
For the second consecutive year, Morales’ leadership within the MAS is questioned. In 2021, he was objected to for the “finger” designation of candidates for the subnational elections. This year, the questioning is related to requests for adjustments by President Arce’s cabinet.
Former presidential spokesman Álex Contreras stated that the questions to Morales are deepening and more evident, because he no longer has the political power to unite social organizations. He added that this is one of the reasons why he “carried out the electoral mega-fraud”, because at the head of the State he was unquestionable.
“Evo Morales now has a fictitious leadership and in the MAS there is a greater division. There is the Morales bloc, another wing is that of President Luis Arce, who want a renewal. The third block, which has a direct dispute with Evo Morales, is that of Vice President David Choquehuanca. There is a drunken power of former authorities. Evo Morales entered through the front door in 2006 and in 2019 he left through the back door, fleeing,” he stated.
“MAS will oppose Arce”
Lourdes Millares, former deputy, stated that it is evident that there are currents in the MAS that want renewal. She added that within the short or medium term there will be a profound organic crisis, which could cause them to go to the 2025 elections divided.
“We are going to have the MAS and the ex-masistas articulated in a political project in the electoral contest. There will be a strong shake in the MAS. MAS itself will oppose Luis Arce. In the short or medium term, there will be demonstrations promoted by the MAS to express discontent and destabilize the government,” he emphasized.
Alternatives will fail
The masista deputy Héctor Arce asserted that the groups that seek to promote alternative leaderships to Morales will not prosper. The legislator described as “idle and adventurous” those who want to divide the party.
“In my experience I have seen when people proclaim themselves or have themselves proclaimed candidates in advance, they have failed. In the MAS nobody looks for positions, the position has to look for you, that’s what I learned, “he said.
6
FACTS
show that within the MAS,
the leadership of Evo Morales weakens.
