This was not a coup: Bolivia’s response to fraudulent elections

THIS WAS NOT A COUP

It is imperative for Bolivia and its people to receive their due share and legitimate claim to democracy and peace. We need that to heal and move forward. Any foul call of a coup could peril the international standing of our poor, small, but brave country. By misconceiving this as a coup, the very principles of democracy are being attacked. THERE WAS NO COUP IN BOLIVIA.

 

Evo Morales violated Articles 168, 255, and 410 of the Bolivian Constitution. He ignored the result of the legally binding referendum of 21st February 2016 in which the majority of the Bolivian people voted to deny his request to run for an additional term beyond the limit of 2 stipulated by the Constitution and looked to modify Article 168. This is ignoring the fact that he had already run for office 3 times, with the first one occurring prior to a change to the Constitution that he promoted, but that is another topic.

 

He violated Article 12 by running as candidate for re-election in 2019. His argument was that this was his “human right” and the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal of the country allowed it, although there is no basis for this under Article 23 of the American convention of Human Rights (11th February 1978); Article 25 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (1966); nor under article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

 

The violations, crimes, and abuse of power that were committed during his almost 14 years in office, are also subject of another topic, but must be kept in mind to understand the reason for the citizens’ getting fed up with him now.

 

Even after unconstitutionally running for office, there was a highly suspicious suspension of the quick counting mechanism on the elections held on 20th October 2019. After this was restarted 23 hours later on October 21, the tendency shifted dramatically to Morales, giving him the necessary 10%+ that would avoid a second round, in which all polls suggested that the opposition’s candidate, Carlos Mesa, would win. Before the suspension of the system, with 83% of the votes counted, Morales only had a 7% difference with Mesa. Following hours of the service being offline, Evo Morales declares himself winner in the first round, even before the final count was completed and the final results released. The Plurinational Electoral Organ was never able to properly explain this suspension nor the change in tendency, as the Electoral Observers Mission of the Organization of American States, led by former Costa Rica Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manuel Gonzales-Sanz suggested.

 

This raises suspicion in the international community, within the country itself, and with the diaspora. Claims of fraud did not begin on October 20, there were indications before of what the government was planning. Protests, however, did begin that night. This led the government to request a binding audit of the elections and ask the Organization of American States to act as auditor. In parallel, the international media, specifically CNN en Español Fernando del Rincon, investigated potential misdoings. The local software company in charge of providing support for the quick counting mechanism, Neotec, publicly accepted that the process had contained several irregularities. The same for the company Ethical Hacking of Panama, responsible of performing the information audit of the elections, which indicated that the integrity of the data base and the software were violated, as well as having several inconsistencies; in essence invalidating the elections.

 

A civilian led national general strike was called in response to the suspicion of fraud, starting in Santa Cruz on October 23. This strike and the protests gradually spread, beginning in La Paz on October 25. These were peaceful, with no party affiliation, no regional, social or racial distinctions, as Morales would want you to believe. More importantly these had no police or military support. As a matter of fact, the police kept confronting protesters constantly during these days and up to 8th November.

 

The Bolivian Constitution, impulsed by Morales himself, recognizes the right of its citizens to organize themselves under what is known as an “Open Cabildo”, in essence, a civilian gathering by which any call of action stemming from these meetings gives citizens a mandate that must be heard by the government. There were gatherings in the major cities of Bolivia with 2 regional leaders guiding them: Luis Fernando Camacho of the Civil Committee of Santa Cruz and Marco Antonio Pumari of the Civil Committee of Potosi. In the Open Cabildo of 4th November 2019 it was agreed that they would hand deliver a letter of resignation to Evo Morales in the Presidential Palace. In essence, this is the people terminating the presidential mandate and it is stipulated in the Constitution.

 

During this time, as strikes intensified, police repressed peaceful protesters, and MAS supporters attacked them. Two deaths were reported in the city of Montero, close to Santa Cruz, at the hands of a yet unidentified gunmen on the side of the MAS supporters, a 20-year old young man in the city of Cochabamba (which you misspelled in an earlier article) was brutally killed, and hundreds were injured, including a student who lost an eye, another who lost half a hand, and a medic who remains in coma. None of it was recorded in the international press, only Human Rights Watch made observations.

 

Finally, on November 8th, the police in Cochabamba side with the people and mutiny. This leads to the police in all other major cities to mutiny. The police in the administrative capital of La Paz are the last to mutiny on November 9th at noon. The people, still in open pacific protests, gather around the police forces to protect them from any potential attack by pro-government militias, providing them with food and basic supplies. To this point, there was widespread fear that the military would react against police and protesters. This was denied by the Minister of Defence Zavaleta (as of yet, he has not resigned) the night of November 8th. After the mutiny, Morales requests all parties that gained representatives in the National Assembly in the contested election to dialogue with him. They all refuse.

 

Peaceful strikes and protests continue without the military. With the police already in mutiny and un-armed nation-wide, a group of students en route from the southern city and constitutional capital of Sucre are attacked by a mob in the town of Vila Vila on the afternoon of November 9, which include sexual crimes against several women.

 

On 10th November at 6.00 am local time, following 19 days of general strike, the Organization of American States releases the results of the binding audit requested by the government and declare that there were numerous irregularities in the electoral process benefiting Evo Morales, thus confirming the existence of fraud. The report indicate that it was statistically improbable that the necessary 10%+ difference was obtained. Evo Morales decides to ignore the findings of the audit he himself called for and ask for peace in order to reach an agreement. His plead is ignored.

 

Following the demand of many sectors and workers unions formerly aligned with the government that the government recognize the findings of the audit and respect the Constitution, resignations from many MAS government officials, mayors, and a few minister put additional pressure on the government. As this is going on, miners from the department of Potosi march towards La Paz, and are shot by unidentified snipers and ambushed by local MAS supporters, causing one death. It is only then, after several of the key figures of the MAS government had resigned and all former supporters (miners, workers unions, police, indigenous groups) had removed their support to Evo, the Chief of the Armed Forces General Williams Kaliman (himself promoted and handpicked by Morales) suggest him to resign to avoid further bloodshed and national decomposition. Evo finally resigns via a pre-recorded message on the afternoon of 10th November 2019. His whereabouts are now known, he is in Mexico, which is a great shame for that great country and people. He had abandoned his functions from the Government Palace without duly informing or receiving authorization from the National Assembly as to the reason for his absence, as he is supposed to do.

 

Throughout this whole period, Evo Morales as president of the country, openly stated that he would “teach” the people how to protest and blockade, as citizens were blocking streets with nothing but a “little string.” He threatened to set siege to the main cities, blocking access to food and water, thus forcing them to respect him and his illegitimate win at the fraudulent polls. His ministers also asked for sectors siding with him to go out and protest allowing the use of dynamite and other explosives. MAS Congressman Torrico indicated that 18 and 20-year old boys would die if protests continued. After the boy in Cochabamba was killed, Minister Zavaleta indicated that bodies would be counted by dozens if protesters did not cede. Minister Romero allowed the use of dynamite in downtown La Paz by MAS protesters. Minister Quintana threatened that Bolivia would become Vietnam. All this is, obviously, highly illegal, unconstitutional and criminal. None of this was reflected in any international news source, nor condemned by any international organization. Morales continuously spread lies about the opposition and the civic leaders indicating they were racist and fascist but never did the government issue statements or apologies for the dead.

The end result was of 4 deaths, several women abused, and hundreds of wounded. The violence was perpetrated by the government itself, groups aligned with, equipped, instructed and financed by the government. Following his resignation, which still needs to be ratified by Congress, as stipulated in the Constitution, the government backed forces began sacking the cities of El Alto, La Paz and Cochabamba between sunset on November 10 and 8.30 pm on November 11, attacking the La Paz bus depot where they burned over 60 buses that form part of the city-sponsored public transportation network, burning down the house of Mr. Waldo Albarracin, Rector of the public university in La Paz (UMSA) and President of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy, they also burned down the house of opposition mayor Soledad Chapeton in El Alto and TV news anchor Casimira Lema. Several factories in El Alto were sacked and burned and the center of the city became a ghost town. Police precincts were attacked and overtaken. This was all in tacit approval of Evo Morales, his lackeys, and his MAS party, in compliance with Minister´s Quintana Vietnam threat. During a whole 24 hours, the un-armed police, with limited civilian support helped civilian protesters to defend what they could. The military did not act.

 

Only on the night of November 11 at 8.30 pm, at the request of the Police and a public denounce by the would-be constitutional successor Senator Añez, did the military, following constitutional orders according to Articles 244 and Article 6 of the Organic Law of the Armed Forces did the military begin joint operations with the police to restore peace.

 

A coup requires violence. The protests were pacific.

 

A coup is fast and swift. Between elections and resignation, there were 21 days, including 19 of protests.

 

A coup requires military, police or rebel armies. The protesters never yielded a gun, the police mutinied 2 days before the resignation, and the military only at the very end suggested Morales to resign.

 

A coup requires a leader. Today, more than 24 hours after Morales resigned, the Legislative Assembly is yet to be summoned to accept the resignations of Morales and Garcia Linera. In view of the resignation of the President of the Senate Salvatierra and President of the Chamber of Deputies Borda, Senator Añez, as second vice-president of the Senate, needs to be ratified. This all follows constitutional succession and is taking the due time and process.

 

A coup requires overtaking and attacking the center of power. After Morales had left La Paz and a few hours before he resigned, the civic leader Luis Fernando Camacho peacefully entered the Government Palace (the traditional Burnt Palace, not the 28-story high tower Morales built for himself), which any citizen is allowed to do.

 

All this time, the civic movement spread in all 9 departments and major cities. The leaders of Santa Cruz and Potosi, of dissimilar backgrounds are united by peace, faith, and principle in achieving a common objective, and rise as the main leaders. The opposition is united behind a common goal. People in La Paz sing the hymn to Santa Cruz in the streets. People from all departments convene in the major Cabildo in Santa Cruz on November 4th. People from all departments begin arriving in La Paz to support the protests. Indigenous and non-indigenous stand side by side to resist. No violence, no racism, no fascism. Epic resistance, similar to how people in Leipzig marched with candles at night before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why not write about that?

 

This was not a coup. Evo was not kicked out by the army or by anyone perpetrating a coup, his ambition for unchecked and unlimited power did.

 

This was not a coup, it was a grassroots, civilian led struggle to regain Democracy, Liberty, and make the government respect Bolivia and its people.

 

 

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THIS WAS NOT A COUP

It is imperative for Bolivia and its people to receive their due share and
legitimate claim to democracy and peace. We need that to heal and move forward.
Any foul call of a coup could peril the international standing of our poor,
small, but brave country. By misconceiving this as a coup, the very principles
of democracy are being attacked. THERE WAS NO COUP IN BOLIVIA.

 

Evo Morales violated Articles 168, 255, and 410 of the Bolivian
Constitution. He ignored the result of the legally binding referendum of 21st
February 2016 in which the majority of the Bolivian people voted to deny his
request to run for an additional term beyond the limit of 2 stipulated by the
Constitution and looked to modify Article 168. This is ignoring the fact that
he had already run for office 3 times, with the first one occurring prior to a
change to the Constitution that he promoted, but that is another topic.

 

He violated Article 12 by running as candidate for re-election in 2019. His
argument was that this was his “human right” and the Plurinational
Constitutional Tribunal of the country allowed it, although there is no basis
for this under Article 23 of the American convention of Human Rights (11th
February 1978); Article 25 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political
Rights (1966); nor under article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (1948).

 

The violations, crimes, and abuse of power that were committed during his
almost 14 years in office, are also subject of another topic, but must be kept
in mind to understand the reason for the citizens’ getting fed up with him now.

 

Even after unconstitutionally running for office, there was a highly
suspicious suspension of the quick counting mechanism on the elections held on
20th October 2019. After this was restarted 23 hours later on October 21, the
tendency shifted dramatically to Morales, giving him the necessary 10%+ that
would avoid a second round, in which all polls suggested that the opposition’s
candidate, Carlos Mesa, would win. Before the suspension of the system, with
83% of the votes counted, Morales only had a 7% difference with Mesa. Following
hours of the service being offline, Evo Morales declares himself winner in the
first round, even before the final count was completed and the final results
released. The Plurinational Electoral Organ was never able to properly explain
this suspension nor the change in tendency, as the Electoral Observers Mission
of the Organization of American States, led by former Costa Rica Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Manuel Gonzales-Sanz suggested.

 

This raises suspicion in the international community, within the country
itself, and with the diaspora. Claims of fraud did not begin on October 20,
there were indications before of what the government was planning. Protests,
however, did begin that night. This led the government to request a binding
audit of the elections and ask the Organization of American States to act as
auditor. In parallel, the international media, specifically CNN en Español
Fernando del Rincon, investigated potential misdoings. The local software
company in charge of providing support for the quick counting mechanism,
Neotec, publicly accepted that the process had contained several
irregularities. The same for the company Ethical Hacking of Panama, responsible
of performing the information audit of the elections, which indicated that the
integrity of the data base and the software were violated, as well as having
several inconsistencies; in essence invalidating the elections.

 

A civilian led national general strike was called in response to the
suspicion of fraud, starting in Santa Cruz on October 23. This strike and the
protests gradually spread, beginning in La Paz on October 25. These were
peaceful, with no party affiliation, no regional, social or racial distinctions,
as Morales would want you to believe. More importantly these had no police or
military support. As a matter of fact, the police kept confronting protesters
constantly during these days and up to 8th November.

 

The Bolivian Constitution, impulsed by Morales himself, recognizes the right
of its citizens to organize themselves under what is known as an “Open
Cabildo”, in essence, a civilian gathering by which any call of action
stemming from these meetings gives citizens a mandate that must be heard by the
government. There were gatherings in the major cities of Bolivia with 2
regional leaders guiding them: Luis Fernando Camacho of the Civil Committee of
Santa Cruz and Marco Antonio Pumari of the Civil Committee of Potosi. In the
Open Cabildo of 4th November 2019 it was agreed that they would hand deliver a
letter of resignation to Evo Morales in the Presidential Palace. In essence,
this is the people terminating the presidential mandate and it is stipulated in
the Constitution.

 

During this time, as strikes intensified, police repressed peaceful
protesters, and MAS supporters attacked them. Two deaths were reported in the
city of Montero, close to Santa Cruz, at the hands of a yet unidentified gunmen
on the side of the MAS supporters, a 20-year old young man in the city of
Cochabamba (which you misspelled in an earlier article) was brutally killed,
and hundreds were injured, including a student who lost an eye, another who
lost half a hand, and a medic who remains in coma. None of it was recorded in
the international press, only Human Rights Watch made observations.

 

Finally, on November 8th, the police in Cochabamba side with the people and
mutiny. This leads to the police in all other major cities to mutiny. The
police in the administrative capital of La Paz are the last to mutiny on
November 9th at noon. The people, still in open pacific protests, gather around
the police forces to protect them from any potential attack by pro-government
militias, providing them with food and basic supplies. To this point, there was
widespread fear that the military would react against police and protesters.
This was denied by the Minister of Defence Zavaleta (as of yet, he has not
resigned) the night of November 8th. After the mutiny, Morales requests all
parties that gained representatives in the National Assembly in the contested
election to dialogue with him. They all refuse.

 

Peaceful strikes and protests continue without the military. With the police
already in mutiny and un-armed nation-wide, a group of students en route from
the southern city and constitutional capital of Sucre are attacked by a mob in
the town of Vila Vila on the afternoon of November 9, which include sexual
crimes against several women.

 

On 10th November at 6.00 am local time, following 19 days of general strike,
the Organization of American States releases the results of the binding audit
requested by the government and declare that there were numerous irregularities
in the electoral process benefiting Evo Morales, thus confirming the existence
of fraud. The report indicate that it was statistically improbable that the
necessary 10%+ difference was obtained. Evo Morales decides to ignore the
findings of the audit he himself called for and ask for peace in order to reach
an agreement. His plead is ignored.

 

Following the demand of many sectors and workers unions formerly aligned
with the government that the government recognize the findings of the audit and
respect the Constitution, resignations from many MAS government officials,
mayors, and a few minister put additional pressure on the government. As this
is going on, miners from the department of Potosi march towards La Paz, and are
shot by unidentified snipers and ambushed by local MAS supporters, causing one
death. It is only then, after several of the key figures of the MAS government
had resigned and all former supporters (miners, workers unions, police,
indigenous groups) had removed their support to Evo, the Chief of the Armed
Forces General Williams Kaliman (himself promoted and handpicked by Morales) suggest
him to resign to avoid further bloodshed and national decomposition. Evo
finally resigns via a pre-recorded message on the afternoon of 10th November
2019. His whereabouts are now known, he is in Mexico, which is a great shame
for that great country and people. He had abandoned his functions from the
Government Palace without duly informing or receiving authorization from the
National Assembly as to the reason for his absence, as he is supposed to do.

 

Throughout this whole period, Evo Morales as president of the country,
openly stated that he would “teach” the people how to protest and
blockade, as citizens were blocking streets with nothing but a “little string.”
He threatened to set siege to the main cities, blocking access to food and water,
thus forcing them to respect him and his illegitimate win at the fraudulent
polls. His ministers also asked for sectors siding with him to go out and
protest allowing the use of dynamite and other explosives. MAS Congressman
Torrico indicated that 18 and 20-year old boys would die if protests continued.
After the boy in Cochabamba was killed, Minister Zavaleta indicated that bodies
would be counted by dozens if protesters did not cede. Minister Romero allowed
the use of dynamite in downtown La Paz by MAS protesters. Minister Quintana
threatened that Bolivia would become Vietnam. All this is, obviously, highly
illegal, unconstitutional and criminal. None of this was reflected in any
international news source, nor condemned by any international organization.
Morales continuously spread lies about the opposition and the civic leaders
indicating they were racist and fascist but never did the government issue
statements or apologies for the dead.

The end result was of 4 deaths, several women abused, and hundreds of wounded.
The violence was perpetrated by the government itself, groups aligned with,
equipped, instructed and financed by the government. Following his resignation,
which still needs to be ratified by Congress, as stipulated in the
Constitution, the government backed forces began sacking the cities of El Alto,
La Paz and Cochabamba between sunset on November 10 and 8.30 pm on November 11,
attacking the La Paz bus depot where they burned over 60 buses that form part
of the city-sponsored public transportation network, burning down the house of
Mr. Waldo Albarracin, Rector of the public university in La Paz (UMSA) and
President of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy, they also
burned down the house of opposition mayor Soledad Chapeton in El Alto and TV
news anchor Casimira Lema. Several factories in El Alto were sacked and burned
and the center of the city became a ghost town. Police precincts were attacked
and overtaken. This was all in tacit approval of Evo Morales, his lackeys, and
his MAS party, in compliance with Minister´s Quintana Vietnam threat. During a
whole 24 hours, the un-armed police, with limited civilian support helped
civilian protesters to defend what they could. The military did not act.

 

Only on the night of November 11 at 8.30 pm, at the request of the Police
and a public denounce by the would-be constitutional successor Senator Añez,
did the military, following constitutional orders according to Articles 244 and
Article 6 of the Organic Law of the Armed Forces did the military begin joint
operations with the police to restore peace.

 

A coup requires violence. The protests were pacific.

 

A coup is fast and swift. Between elections and resignation, there were 21
days, including 19 of protests.

 

A coup requires military, police or rebel armies. The protesters never
yielded a gun, the police mutinied 2 days before the resignation, and the
military only at the very end suggested Morales to resign.

 

A coup requires a leader. Today, more than 24 hours after Morales resigned,
the Legislative Assembly is yet to be summoned to accept the resignations of
Morales and Garcia Linera. In view of the resignation of the President of the
Senate Salvatierra and President of the Chamber of Deputies Borda, Senator
Añez, as second vice-president of the Senate, needs to be ratified. This all
follows constitutional succession and is taking the due time and process.

 

A coup requires overtaking and attacking the center of power. After Morales
had left La Paz and a few hours before he resigned, the civic leader Luis Fernando
Camacho peacefully entered the Government Palace (the traditional Burnt Palace,
not the 28-story high tower Morales built for himself), which any citizen is
allowed to do.

 

All this time, the civic movement spread in all 9 departments and major cities.
The leaders of Santa Cruz and Potosi, of dissimilar backgrounds are united by
peace, faith, and principle in achieving a common objective, and rise as the
main leaders. The opposition is united behind a common goal. People in La Paz
sing the hymn to Santa Cruz in the streets. People from all departments convene
in the major Cabildo in Santa Cruz on November 4th. People from all departments
begin arriving in La Paz to support the protests. Indigenous and non-indigenous
stand side by side to resist. No violence, no racism, no fascism. Epic
resistance, similar to how people in Leipzig marched with candles at night
before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why not write about that?

 

This was not a coup. Evo was not kicked out by the army or by anyone
perpetrating a coup, his ambition for unchecked and unlimited power did.

 

This was not a coup, it was a grassroots, civilian led struggle to regain
Democracy, Liberty, and make the government respect Bolivia and its people.