Bolivia today counts among the defeated in this Sunday’s runoff «the racists, haters, defamers and violent ones,» assured the first indigenous former president of the Plurinational State, Evo Morales, on his social media.
«The people, with their vote, defeated (…) the racists, haters, defamers and violent ones; punished the media power that trampled journalistic ethics and practised indecent journalism because it was not only the main promoter of my proscription, in complicity with the Arce Government and others (…)», wrote Morales on his X account.
The former leader considered that this power disseminated false polls and «sided with the American candidate» (referring both to the winner, the centre-right candidate Rodrigo Paz, and the ultra-liberal and IMF-backed Jorge Tuto Quiroga).
«The insulted, despised, betrayed and humiliated – wrote Morales in a criticism of the national Government -, also failed Lucho Arce, David Choquehuanca and their ministers who executed a Black Plan to persecute, criminalise and imprison indigenous people (…)».
Among the accusations against his former comrades from the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), the former leader included that they destroyed the Political Instrument, moved to the right and submitted to the United States in a governmental management which he described as «corrupt and complicit in covering up drug trafficking».
Morales in his post issued a warning to those who will assume the Executive on the next 8th November with the 36 Senate seats and 120 of the 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies in their favour, if the results of all the right-wing forces in the first round of the general elections held last 17th August are added together.
«The people grant the new rulers the mandate not to destroy the Plurinational State, with sovereignty, dignity, inclusion and social justice; to respect social rights, such as the bonuses, and the state’s wealth distribution policy; and not to betray the agenda of the excluded,» concluded the former president.
THE SILENCE DID NOT FORGIVE
Despite the millions invested in his campaign by Quiroga, immensely superior to what was spent by the Christian Democratic Party with Paz at the front, undoubtedly, the racism scandals in the ranks of the Free Alliance significantly influenced the outcome of the elections.
Last 30th September, the authenticity of racist messages posted on his social media by the Free Alliance vice-presidential candidate, Juan Pablo Velazco, was reaffirmed by the outlet Bolivia Verifica, thus joining Chequea Bolivia.
Such discriminatory texts against the «collas», a derogatory term used in reference to the population of the highland west of the Plurinational State, were published on X between 2010 and 2012.
«Juan Pablo Velasco Dalence, candidate for the vice-presidency for the Free Alliance, was reported for issuing racist messages against the inhabitants of the west through his X account. After a long tracking work, it was established that said publications are true and that they were made 15 years ago,» assured Bolivia Verifica.
According to both verification media, on his account @Jpvel, Velazco wrote when he was 23 years old: «All the collas must be killed!», «How nice it is to see these collas from Bolivar get thrashed. OP (Oriente Petrolero) is a passion», and, «Not all Bolivians are collas. Greetings from Santa Cruz.»
Bolivia Verifica, and before it Chequea Bolivia, agreed that Velazco registered the account https://x.com/Jpvel as his official profile on X with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
However, this profile was taken down after this scandal originated in the midst of the electoral context.
Faced with this negative situation that undoubtedly weakened the electoral campaign of the ticket comprised of Velazco together with the aspiring head of state Jorge Tuto Quiroga, the Free Alliance announced on 30th August that it would present a statement in which everything would be clarified, but that «awaited clarification» never arrived, and Velazco was incapable of offering an apology.
The strategy of relegating this matter to oblivion with silence proved counterproductive, and attempting to bury the mess in the last weeks with public appearances of both candidates dressed in indigenous attire at campaign events, where they danced characteristic folk dances of the Aymara and Quechua fraternities.
However, as the political analyst Sayuri Loza warned on the RTP channel, in these political propaganda actions, Quiroga limited himself to presenting the highland population as a numerous labour force for the investments of the businessmen from the Bolivian east, which added to the detrimental effect of the incredulity generated by the fictitious image of the ultimately defeated ticket.
