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1 1 (November 12, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govebhk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional ~.Research Service informing the legis!ative debate since 1914___________________ Bolivia: Presidential Resignation and Aftermath Updated November 12, 2019 On November 10, 2019, Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned and subsequently received asylum in Mexico. Bolivia's military had recommended that Morales step down to prevent an escalation of violence after weeks of protests alleging fraud in the October 20, 2019, presidential election. While Morales has described his ouster as a coup, the opposition has described it as a popular uprising against an authoritarian leader who sought to remain in office through electoral fraud. The three individuals in line to succeed Morales (the vice president and the presidents of the senate and chamber of deputies) also resigned, leaving Bolivia without clear leadership. The congress is struggling to select an interim leader to serve until new elections are convened. The U.S. Department of State supported the findings of an Organization of American States (OAS) audit that found enough irregularities in the October elections to recommend a new election under a new electoral tribunal. President Trump praised Morales's resignation and said his departure paves the way for the Bolivian people to have their voice heard. State Department officials have called for all parties to refrain from violence and issued a travel warning for Bolivia. Congressional concern about Bolivia has increased over the past year as Morales has pursued a fourth term. S.Res. 35, approved in April 2019, expresses concern over efforts to circumvent term limits in Bolivia. Morales Government (2006-2019) President Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous leader, had governed since 2006 as the head of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. With two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers, Morales and the MAS transformed Bolivia (see CRS In Focus IF 11325, Bolivia: An Overview). They decriminalized coca cultivation, increased state control over the economy, and used natural gas revenue to expand social programs. Morales and the MAS enacted a new constitution (2009) that recognizes indigenous peoples' rights and autonomy and allows for land reform. Previously underrepresented groups, including the indigenous peoples who constitute 40% of the population, increased their representation in government. Traditional Bolivian elites opposed these changes and have become leaders of the recent protests. Although Bolivia's economic performance has been strong under President Morales, there has been an erosion of some democratic institutions and relations with the United States have deteriorated. Under Congressional Research Service https://crsreports. congress.gov IN11198 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

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