The PCE wants to congratulate the Socialist Movement (MAS-IPSP) and its candidates to President and Vice-president of Bolivia, Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca for their victory in the first round during the electoral process last October 18th 2020.
With official results still trickling in from across the country until Wednesday, the stunning victory of MAS with over 52,4% in front of the 31,5% of Carlos Mesa is clear. The right wing and coup leader Luis Fernando Camacho have only obtained 14,1%. The victory of Arce and Choquehuanca has been recognized so far by Áñez and the OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro through their social media.
With this electoral victory, Bolivia comes back towards democracy and sovereignty despite the tense ambience created by the rightwing. A few months ago, some politicians against MAS tried to judicially disable them and its candidate, tried to intimidate people by means of a great deployment of military forces in the streets, political prosecutions, and detentions of social organizations representatives as it happened with Ernesto Quispe in the city of El Alto.
The electoral result confirms twofold facts: first, the OAS reports about the alleged electoral fraud that took place last year was false and created with the only intention to keep Evo Morales out of power by all means. Second, the clear pacific answer of the people against a military coup, but also and specially against massacres done in Senkata and Sacaba.
We also want to congratulate the great work done by the international observers, specially the one done by our comrade and vice-president of the ELP, Maite Mola, and his colleague Fran Pérez, in charge of International IU. Also, Lucía Muñoz and Gerardo Pisarello, Unidas Podemos deputies who have suffered great pressure from the extreme right in Bolivia and Spain (particularly the one done by OKDiario owned by Eduardo Inda).
MAS victory gives hope to the whole progressive forces in Latin America despite the oligarchic attempts of the United States to undermine them all. Such as Dilma’s impeachment, the lawfare against Correa and Lula, or the coup d’état in Paraguay, Honduras and Bolivia. The perseverance of the Bolivian people have managed to reverse this continental tendency, and we have hope this is only the beginning of upcoming victories such as the plebiscite in Chile for the next October 25th, the victory of Arauz-Rabascall in Ecuador next February 2021, or the legislative victory in support of the government of Venezuela next December 6th.
Last but not least, we call upon the international community to respect these electoral results and would like to make a general appeal to stop MAS and the social movements political prosecution held by the extreme right.