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Bolivia: Elections Postponed to October



Updated July 24, 2020
On July 23, 2020, Bolivia's electoral tribunal announced the postponement of general elections from
September 6 to October 18 due to the escalating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic.
Bolivia has been polarized since the November 2019 resignation of President Evo Morales of the
Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party and already postponed elections originally scheduled for May
3 due to a national quarantine. Unrest and the surging pandemic (Interim President Jeanette Afiez and
several in her cabinet have contracted COVID- 19) could threaten the elections.
The United States remains concerned about the political volatility in Bolivia and has supported efforts to
ensure the upcoming elections are free and fair.

October Elections Annulled
Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, transformed B olivia, but observers criticized his efforts to
remain in office (he won elections in 2006, 2009, and 2014). In 2017, Bolivia's Constitutional Tribunal
removed limits on reelection established in the 2009 constitution, effectively overruling a 2016
referendum in which voters rejected a constitutional change to allow Morales to run for another term.


      Figure I. Bolivia at a Glance



   3time lhes zeof Mo~ntd~ C
..DP/GDP per capita:


Allegations of fraud marred Bolivia's October
election. The electoral tribunal said Morales
exceeded the 10-point margin necessary to avoid
a runoff over formerpresident Carlos Mesa, but
Mesa rejected that result. Some protesters called
for a new election; others demanded Morales's
resignation.


   POPU L  -ti  UeI-O the    .On November 10, 2019, the Organization of
   poverty Ine 34.6% (21, NU X                     American States (OAS) issued preliminary
   Key, tradin partne:rs (% tob tW~J ai~ (findings suggesting enough irregularities to merit
   Topexparts pe.... ..... .........               a new election. (Some experts have since
                                                   challenged aspects of those findings.) Morales
Sources: CRS Graphics, International Monetary Fund (IMF),  agreed to hold new elections, but the opposition
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Instituto Nacional de  rejected his offer. Morales resigned after police
Estadisticas (INE), Global Trade Atlas (GTA).      refused to stop protesters, ministers resigned, and
civic organizations and the military urged him to step down. He sought asylum in Mexico and then
                                                                  Congressional Research Service
                                                                    https://crsreports.congress.gov
                                                                                        IN11198


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