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News > Bolivia

Bolivia's Social Movements to Rally in Support Of Evo Morales

  • Supporters of the ruling political party wave flags at a convention earlier this year

    Supporters of the ruling political party wave flags at a convention earlier this year | Photo: teleSUR

Published 29 March 2016
Opinion

Thousands of members of Bolivia’s social movements will march in Cochabamba April 2 to plan a new path in the wake of February’s referendum defeat.

At a recent rally in La Paz in support of President Evo Morales one man screamed as loud as he could above all the others, "We may have lost the battle but not the war," referring to the defeat of the "Yes" to abolishing the two-term presidential limit in February's referendum, thus blocking the country's first Indigenous president from running for a third period in office.

The "No" campaign narrowly won with a 51.3 percent majority to 48.7 percent. The result sealed the political future of Evo Morales and his Vice President Alvaro Garcia. Both are now barred from participating in the 2019 presidential elections.

Members of MAS, Bolivia’s ruling Movement Towards Socialism party, are a diverse collection of grassroots social movements and activists.

RELATED: Morales Orders Construction of 600,000 Homes For Less Fortunate

Since their defeat, members have rallied behind their leader Evo Morales and thousands are expected to attend rallies in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba April 2.

Leonardo Loza , an executive member of MAS, recalled the dark days of Bolivia’s neoliberal governments legacy of "blood, pain, grief and death."

Loza maintains that under Morales, life has improved and "we live in peace, we work in peace, there’s political, economic, social and cultural stability," according to Loza.

Despite, losing the referendum many of President Morales' supporters are refusing to accept that he won’t be able to stand for office again.

"MAS will continue its struggle to ensure the process of change continues," said Juanita Ancieta, a member of the Bartolinas, the largest organization for women in Bolivia.

"If we have to give our life for this process of change, we are going to give it … let us go on hunger strike; we are going to march. We are all of the same family and we’ve declared an emergency," she added.

Thousands of passionate members like Juanita will make the journey to Cochabamba to rally their cause in the hope they can start a revolution for Evo.

Officially, they’re gathering to discuss strategy for the next three years but many are travelling to plot marches and rallies in support of their leader.

Most MAS supporters refuse to entertain the idea of starting discussions on a possible successor to Morales, preferring to allow him to continue his day job without the distraction of a leadership contest.

Bolivia’s opposition have dismissed any potential challenges to the referendum result.

Former President Jorge Quiroga and now opposition member said Morales should leave office "with dignity" and "govern for the people" ahead of his departure.

But Leonardo Loza, from MAS, insists the party has lost nothing and that Bolivia’s coca growers known as cocaleros are "still standing."

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