On November 12th, longtime Bolivian president Evo Morales fled to Mexico, prompting a political and security crisis in the Bolivia. Evo Morales fled his country amid protests against alleged election rigging and after being threatened by Bolivia’s military and security services. The circumstances of his ouster have lead some to conclude this was a coup.
In his place, an interim and right-wing government has stepped up violent attacks against pro-Morales protesters. Several people have been killed by the security services in the protests that followed Morales’ ouster.
At time of recording, the situation remained fluid, with some talks between pro-Maduro and anti-Maduro factions on potential new elections. But the prospect of more violence is very much a reality.
On the line to explain the roots of the crisis in Bolivia is Ivan Briscoe, Latin America director of the International Crisis Group. We kick off with a discussion of the unique place that Evo Morales holds in Latin American history as Bolivia’s first indigenous president and a broadly effective left-wing leader. We then have a in-depth discussion about the circumstances surrounding his ouster, including what the international community can do — and in some cases can’t do — to help bring about a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
If you have 25 minutes and want to understand what is driving this crisis in Bolivia, have a listen
