lost and threatened

Jhonattan Acosta was lost (space) and threatened (animals) in the Amazon jungle in the department of Beni for more than 30 days. The adversities that he experienced were unimaginable, harsh and unforgettable. This personal story has nothing to do with Bolivian political daily life, but the circumstances in which he was, practically a month, yes. Are we lost and threatened in the political field as Jhonattan was in the jungle?

The Bolivian political field is lost: dirty, stained, confused, aimless, and motivated by the interests of power groups that consider State assets as their private patrimony and, furthermore, disconnected from the real needs of people who are not militant or supporter of a political party. The country is threatened: intimidated by the difficult economic situation that every day generates uncertainty and anxiety.

I will focus on what happens in the political field because its experts and thinkers take care of what happens in the economic sphere. It is no secret to anyone that when the economy falters, politics becomes feverish, breaks down, gets in a bad mood. It is important to take into account, at least in a general way, the performance of the economy to get a better look at political trends.

As seen, read and heard, the country’s economy is experiencing dark days. It worries me that those who should be looking for scenarios of understanding so that the darkness is not long and cruel, are more lost than Jhonattan. The general elections will take place, if extraordinary things do not happen, in 2025. It seems that there is a long way to go, but times in Bolivian politics are fast. However, none of the political actors -with electoral aspirations- are considering the political speeds and economic threats because they are all absorbed in their internal, family struggles.

The case of MAS is paradigmatic: the battle between arcistas and evistas has reached family spheres. Between chairs, fists and allegations of corruption, the intra-party struggle will have no limits. Although the Evista wing puts six conditions on President Arce after his call for unity, Evo’s main aspiration: to return to the Casa Grande del Pueblo, is irreversible; as is Lucho’s: go for his second term.

On the other side, on the regional side, the indefinite detention of Luis Fernando Camacho has had multiple effects, but the most damaging is the disagreement between the lieutenant governor and the officials in the governor’s circle of power. In other words, political-partisan interests are determining political-institutional interests: first Creemos, then Santa Cruz.

Political self-absorption, short-sightedness and instinctive predominance to preserve what was won at the polls are marking a political situation, at a national and regional level, without new ideas or long-term projections.