The great political rupture announced almost two years ago in Bolivia finally happened this Wednesday (4): Evo Morales’ Movement to Socialism (MAS) party announced the expulsion of the country’s current president, Luis Arce.
The left-wing party claimed that the fact that Arce did not participate in the MAS congress, which ended this Wednesday in the city of Lauca Ñ, in the Tropic of Cochabamba (Morales’ electoral and union stronghold), resulted in the president’s “self-expulsion”. For the same reason, the Bolivian vice-president, David Choquehuanca, was expelled.
In this way, the way is opened for former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) to be the MAS candidate in the 2025 presidential election – the coca leader, who had already launched his pre-candidacy in September, was acclaimed in this Wednesday as the party’s candidate for the presidential election in two years.
“’Lucho’ [Luis] Arce was invited and did not attend the congress. This was considered a fact of self-expulsion, self-marginalization and self-exclusion on the part of ‘Lucho’ Arce. The congress concluded with all formalities, in accordance with the law and our statutes,” deputy Héctor Arce, an ally of Morales, told France 24.
The former president himself said that the current Bolivian government is “worse than neoliberal governments” and accused him of having tried until the last moment to postpone the congress. “But, fortunately, thanks to unity, thanks to the delegates, the congress is legally and officially closed,” said Morales.
The division within Bolivia’s left began in late 2021 and was driven by Morales’ desire to be a candidate again in 2025, while Arce plans a second term.
In August, Gerardo García, vice-president of MAS, had already indicated that the party is with Morales and Arce would have to “find his own political structure, create his own party”.
In recent months, the dispute has been heating up with accusations from Morales that the Arce administration is corrupt and protects drug trafficking, which has led to lawsuits and even exchanges of aggression between supporters on both sides.
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