Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and now Bolivia — street protests paralyse another South American nation – Firstpost

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Demonstrations and violent clashes have engulfed Bolivia for more than two months. However, it is not the only Latin American nation where people are out on the streets expressing their discontent with the ruling regime. The year 2024 saw multiple such protests in the region, some were sparked as a response to a current event, others were based on issues that go way back in time.

When it comes to Bolivia, at the heart of the issue are the emerging cracks within the Movement for Socialism, or MAS, a leftist party that has dominated the country’s political landscape for two decades. The main political tussle is between Bolivia’s President, Luis Arce, and his onetime mentor, former president Evo Morales.

Both are fighting not only for the party’s leadership but also for the candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, which are slated to take place next year. However, the clashes reflected the steep decline in the influence of the left in the country. Is this a common trend in other Latin American nations?

What is happening in Bolivia? Morales rose to prominence in the country in 2006. He was known for prioritising Indigenous and rural populations in the country and was popular for lifting hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty. While he was the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Morales was criticised for persecuting opponents, harassing journalists and stacking the judiciary in his favour.

In 2019, he fled the country following disputed elections in which Morales was accused of committing fraud. He eventually tapped Arce, his then-finance minister and protege, to run in 2020. After Arce won the polls, he shrugged off Morales and decided to rule the country on his own terms. While Morales came back to the country on the day Arce was sworn in, a new kind of power struggle ensued between the two leaders.

Amid the chaos, the former Bolivian leader is also facing the possibility of imprisonment after prosecutors in October charged him with statutory rape, accusing him of impregnating a 15-year-old girl in 2016 when he was in power. Morales denied the allegations and called the case “politically motivated”. This led to frequent clashes between the supporters of the two leaders.

There’s more to the story However, the power struggle between the two politicians is not the only reason behind the current crisis in the country. Fuel shortage, rising prices and lack of access to the US dollars and imported goods have also provoked fury among the general public. With the fall in prices and the slow production, Arce’s administration struggled to import fuel.

Many in Bolivia argued that the ongoing political turmoil is hampering any meaningful progress on tackling the economic crisis. Some also expressed discontent over the deplorable state of the country’s justice system, which is being used as a weapon to pursue political enemies.

Similar public discontent also led to protests and clashes in other Latin American countries, reflecting how politically unstable the region has become over the years.

Chaos in Latin America Bolivia is not the only country in the region witnessing protests. Anti-government protests also broke out in countries like Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, etc. Here’s an example of how protests rattled the three nations mentioned above.

It is a widely known fact that Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is one of the least popular leaders in the world, with just a 5 percent approval rating. Peruvians continue to remain angry about the rampant corruption among the political class, but also about the repression by security forces that killed dozens of protesters in late 2022 and early 2023.

The country also has its own share of economic challenges. Peru has been facing economic contraction or stifling low growth for two years now. The slowdown happened after the country witnessed a commodity-driven economic boom in recent decades. The low economic growth has in turn contributed to rising crime rates: Homicides have nearly doubled compared to six years ago, and over half of Peruvians say they or their families have been victims of crime in the past six months.

The clashes with the security forces and violent demonstrations across the country ultimately overshadowed Boluarte’s APEC Summit, which also had US President Joe Biden in attendance. Hence, it is unclear how long Boluarte will be able to stay in office.

In April this year, tens of thousands of Colombians took to the streets in several cities to protest against President Gustavo Petro’s social reform agenda. According to Al Jazeera, over 70,000 people demonstrated in Bogota. Large rallies took place elsewhere as people expressed anger over Petro’s proposed economic and social reforms.

The left-wing leader has been facing protests even since he assumed office in 2022. However, the opposition has been angered by the government’s move to take control of two main insurers it said had failed to correctly care for patients. Things started to escalate after the Colombian president described the protests as a “soft coup”. While things have simmered down in the country, Petro continues to face challenges.

The year 2024 has been harsh for Ecuador, with armed conflict breaking out between the country’s government against several organized crime groups in January. Not only this, but protests over frequent power cuts also grappled the country as the government struggles to hold on to power.

Things escalated on January 9 after organized crime groups in Ecuador issued threats of “war”, prompting the country’s president to declare a state of armed internal conflict and authorize military operations against these groups. The clashes, which started in January, are still persistent in the country.

What lies ahead for Bolivia The country is slated to conduct presidential elections in the year 2024. While Arce is yet to confirm whether he would run again, it is widely assumed that he will be on the ballot. Meanwhile, despite multiple protests, Morales continues to remain barred by the country’s apex court.

Amid the chaos, many believe that cracks in the country’s main party could lead to a major transformation in Bolivia’s political landscape. For now, no opposition candidate or party has the same broad support as the MAS party. However, things can change in the future.

With inputs from agencies.

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