a US-made color revolution seems to be afoot in Bolivia

The pink tide needs to be stemmed for good, as with VZ, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, and so on; nor can the sole Indigenous President (and a peasant to boot!) on the planet be allowed to win this election.  Note: this a$$hat’s threats came on Oct. 21, with only a portion of the votes announced!  Yeah, we know what the US and its client states will do; it’s all part of the CIA handbook, isn’t it? Criminalize the pinko’s ‘regime’, sanction/sanction/sanction and eventually openly endorse the opposition leader, as with Juan Guaido:

https://twitter.com/camilateleSUR/status/1187171328002052102

@GBabeuf  Gracchus Babeuf Retweeted Misión Verdad

The “Civic Committee” of Santa Cruz issues an ultimatum to the Election Commission to open a second round of voting, otherwise they’ll “proclaim” their own president. Also order Evo Morales and his VP to vacate the presidential palace

@MarkWeisbrot ‘The OAS should either provide evidence in support of its statements questioning the election results, or publicly retract these statements.’

@AndeanInfoNet ‘President Evo Morales affirms that there should be an audit of the election results to address fraud accusations in #Bolivia‘s national elections. He asked the opposition to provide evidence of these claims.’

Presidential elections were held on Sunday, Oct. 20.  Telesur english described the two front-runner candidates on Oct. 17, 2019:

“A look at Bolivia’s opposition candidates provide insight into that question, so too does examining the current fates of countries like Ecuador and Argentina that threw out progressive governments to elect neoliberals, which is what Bolivia’s right-wing is offering today.

Carlos Mesa, a former head of state himself who presided during the country’s neoliberal past, invited in the United States military to establish bases in Bolivia during his term. Carlos Mesa’s previous term (2003-2005) gives some idea of what lies in store for Bolivians if he wins. During his watch, poverty and extreme poverty was twice as high as the current rates—over two thirds of the population were impoverished. His presidency, which he didn’t complete, came to represent one of the moments at which the country most beholden to the U.S. government and its institutions.

During his time in power he attempted to push through a bill that would grant legal immunity to U.S. officials operating in Bolivia, most of whom were overseeing coca eradication and quelling Campesino protests against the practice.

Mesa’s two-year tenure saw not only ‘security’ affairs outsourced to the U.S., but economic policies. International institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) directed economic affairs, exemplified by having their office inside the building where Bolivia’s Central Bank is also housed.

In his infamous resignation speech Mesa railed against Morales saying his proposal to nationalize natural gas was ‘unviable’ because the U.S. and the World Bank “have told us so.” [long snip]

“The stakes are incredibly high in this election. One only has to look to Argentina and Ecuador to see the speed at which progressive social pacts can disintegrate. After opting for President Mauricio Macri, Argentina is now beholden to the tune of billions of dollars in IMF loans and all the austerity conditions attached to it. Macri and his IMF pact have produced runaway inflation, unemployment and poverty, as well as police excessive use of force against demonstrators who are constantly protesting the effects of the IMF measures. Ecuador, too, is just now emerging from 12 days of massive police violence and military curfews imposed on protesters who were forced to the streets to stand against IMF-imposed austerity after President Lenin Moreno invited the fund back to the Andean nation after a nearly 20-year absence. Both Macri and Moreno have used remarkably similar rhetoric being employed by the Bolivian opposition. Both railed against the leftist governments that preceded them, characterizing them as ‘populist’ and calling for a reorientation of foreign policy towards the U.S. and it’s institutions and allies.

Ecuador in particular has accelerated attacks on the progressive regional integration championed by former Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez. Barely completing half a term in power, Moreno has already triggered the disintegration of UNASUR, the most important Latin American forum that didn’t include the U.S. Add to that the handing over of Julian Assange to British authorities last April and establishing a U.S. military base in the Galapagos Islands, current president Moreno, whose approval rating has sunk to 17 percent, seems determined to do away with the progressive policies of the previous administrations, opting for austerity and U.S. approval.

Bolivia’s extraordinary achievements in lifting the regions poorest country out of underdevelopment have been achieved only after rejecting neoliberalism and taking back control of the country’s natural resources. One study illustrates how Bolivia would have lost US $74 billion in revenue were it not for Morales’ widespread nationalization initiatives.

Also from Telesur English on Oct. 23:

“A coup is underway, carried out by the right-wing with foreign support…what are the methods of this coup attempt?”

Bolivia’s leftist President Evo Morales gave a press conference early Wednesday morning in which he warned that a right-wing coup attempt is being carried out so as to stop the full counting of votes, and annul the result of Sunday’s elections if it gives Morales a first-round victory.

“A coup is underway, carried out by the right-wing with foreign support…what are the methods of this coup attempt? They’re not recognizing or waiting for election results, they’re burning down electoral courts, they want to proclaim the second-place candidate as the winner”, Morales told journalists assembled.

Morales pointed to the fact he is in the first place and reiterated his victory. However, he also stated that “we are just waiting for the electoral court to report the results, I’m nearly certain that with the vote of the rural areas that we will win in the first round, even though the preliminary results show that we’ve won, but we are respectful and will wait for the official results from the electoral court. I say to the international press, our triumphs have always been with the rural vote.”

“Anti-government right-wing protests turned violent Monday with numerous violent attacks took place across the country as preliminary results indicated that leftist President Evo Morales is on course for a first-round victory. Attacks included the burning down of vote counting centers and assaulting Indigenous supporters of Morales. 

The first such action was in the city of Sucre, an opposition stronghold, where rioters set fire to the regional electoral authority. Elsewhere in the country, government buildings were attacked in Tarija, Oruro, the campaign headquarters of Morales’ party were vandalized.

In Cochabamba, where Morales is leading the vote, protesters attempted to seize control of the Campo Ferial, which is the hall in which the votes were being counted.

The president stressed that a key tactic of the right-wing who are plotting a coup is to not recognize the Indigenous vote, which largely favors Morales.” [snip]

To defeat the coup, Morales echoed the call from social movements of the CONALCAM who yesterday declared a state of emergency and peaceful mobilization to defend democracy from right-wing violence.”

The Guardian’s spin on  the protests on Oct. 21, 2019: Bolivia braces for fresh protests as officials say Evo Morales close to victory; Protesters set fire to electoral offices in three cities across the country late on Monday amid fury over allegations of vote-rigging

“Amid widespread fury over allegations of vote-rigging, violent skirmishes broke out late on Monday, as protesters set fire to electoral offices in three cities across the country.

The country’s electoral body abruptly stopped releasing election returns late on Sunday, prompting opponents to suggest that officials were trying to help Morales avoid a runoff vote.”

Er…ya think they might have stopped counting and releasing results because opposition rioters were burning down the regional vote-counting centers and burning ballots?

“At that point Morales had a lead of 45.3% to 38.2% over the second-place candidate, former president Carlos Mesa. Late on Monday, the body renewed its count and said that with 95% of votes counted, Morales led 46.41% to Mesa’s 37.06%.

Under Bolivian law, Morales would need a 10-percentage-point advantage over Mesa to avoid a second round in December. The official final count is not due for seven days.

On Tuesday, the EU said the unexpected interruption of the electronic count “sparked serious concerns that need to be fully and swiftly addressed” and called on a thorough investigation.

The Organisation of American States (OAS) also expressed its “deep concern and surprise at the drastic and hard-to-explain change in the trend of the preliminary results revealed after the closing of the polls” and urged for calm.

Opposition groups have not heeded that call. Mesa, who had warned that the vote could be manipulated to avoid a runoff, called on Bolivians “to conduct a battle in defense of the vote”.

In Santa Cruz, opposition figures called for an indefinite country-wide strike while supporters chanted “No tenemos miedo, carajo!” (“We aren’t scared, dammit!”).

Police opened fire with teargas on Monday night [extremely dubious claim, imo] as protesters clashed with government supporters outside local offices of the electoral tribunal in the capital La Paz, and the cities of Oruro, Potosí and Cochabamba.” [snip]

The US acting assistant secretary of state for the western emisphere, Michael Kozak, tweeted: “The US rejects the Electoral Tribunal’s attempts to subvert #Bolivia‘s democracy by delaying the vote count & taking actions that undermine the credibility of Bolivia’s elections.” [snip]

(see Kozak in action in the instagram at the top)

“Bolivia under Morales has remained a rare example of stability and growth. The economy has grown by an annual average of about 4.5%, well above the regional average, and the International Monetary Fund predicts it will grow at 4% this year.

But Morales has also faced growing dissatisfaction, especially over his refusal to accept a referendum on limiting presidential terms.”

‘Evo Morales Wins Bolivia’s Presidency in the 1st Round with Updated Results;  (Opposition Promoting Violence), Oct. 21, 2019, orinocotribune.com

“Bolivian President Evo Morales has won the Presidency after obtaining 46.86 percent of the votes against 36.73 percent from right-wing main opposition candidate Carlos Mesa, meaning a 10-point lead to win outright.

With 95.03 percent of votes counted from within Bolivia and across the world, left-wing candidate from the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party and current head of state beat Mesa from the Citizen Community (CC) party by gaining more than 40 percent of the valid votes and having a 10-point lead.

As expected, in Santa Cruz, a fierce opposition stronghold, Mesa summoned citizens and civil organizations to carry out a battle in defense of the vote.

We will summon councils and strikes; democracy cannot be taken away from us, Mesa said surrounded by his supporters.

In Cochabamba, in the center of the country, dozens of people shouted in marches. Fraud will not happen! A group announced that it will go on hunger strike.

The government minister, Carlos Romero, held the opponents responsible for creating a climate of tension. They must take care of the violence they are generating, he said.”

Telesur: With 98.07% votes counted; 1.93% remain, the results are 12:45 La Paz: Evo Morales surpasses the 10% advantage over his closest opponent Carlos Mesa, in the final official count of the October 20th presidential election.

Morales: 46.77% – 2,826,166
Mesa: 36.76% – 2,221,275

@camilateleSUR  Camila Retweeted Freddy Morales

President Evo Morales says that 20 people attacked his home in the city of Cochamba this morning, painting it with insults. He has reiterated the invitation, extended to the OAS or any other body, to audit Sunday’s election. #Bolivia

See also: ‘International Observers Assert Legitimacy of Bolivia’s Election’, Oct. 22, 2019, telesurenglish.net

““Everything has taken place with total normality and regularity.”

A number of international observers that are in La Paz monitoring Bolivia’s general elections have praised the legitimacy and transparency of the process which comes in contrast to proclamations by U.S.-backed opposition leaders who have already made declarations questioning the results.

‘The U.S. Footprint in Bolivia’s Incipient Colour Revolution’, Oct. 24, 2019, misionverdad.com

You may remember that the opposition had claimed that Evo’s ‘farming laws’ were what caused the Amazonian rainforest fires…the link deconstructs that quite handily.

(cross-posted at caucus99percent.com)