Political crisis in Bolivia

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has expressed deep concern about the alleged coup attempt in Bolivia. “The background to the current political unrest in Bolivia are simmering economic, social, and political crises as well as an internal power struggle within the ruling party MAS,” stated Jan Königshausen, STP expert on indigenous peoples.

“So far, it is not clear whether there really was a coup attempt – and what exactly is behind it. What is clear is that the current developments have further exacerbated the political crisis, and the people’s trust in the government and the political institutions is eroding,” Königshausen explained. “The government must put an immediate end to the internal power struggle, which – brought about by former President Evo Morales – had already led to strikes, road blockades, and violent clashes last year. In order to restore long-term political stability, it would be necessary to initiate a comprehensive peace process that also includes the voices of indigenous communities.” 

The recent developments add to a long list of political crises and coup attempts that never allowed the country to find peace, especially before the emergence of the MAS. “The repeated occurrence of such crises highlights the urgent need for a stable and inclusive political structure. Only if all population groups are politically represented can Bolivia have a future without constant political upheavals and autocratic tendencies,” the STP expert emphasized.

“The Bolivian government and all political actors must urgently enter into dialogue and respect the rights of all indigenous communities,” Königshausen added. “At the beginning of his term in office, Luis Arce had described himself as the president of all Bolivians. Instead, the societal divisions increased under his rule. The indigenous peoples of the lowlands were structurally weakened, and their habitat is being exploited. At the same time, the indigenous peoples of the highlands – especially the Quechua and Aymara, who make up the ethnic majority of the government – became more dominant. This conflict is fueling the current political crisis.” 

The power struggle within the ruling party, which has been ongoing since 2021, paralyzed the whole country and has now caused a further escalation. The deep divide in Bolivia manifested once again as early as in 2019: One camp claimed election fraud after the controversial re-election of Evo Morales, while the other spoke of a coup when he was forced to leave the country due to threats of violence. This post-factual reality, in which facts and disinformation get mixed up, has weakened the people’s trust in political structures. The emergence of a political opposition was systematically undermined, so that there is currently no actor in the country who could serve as an urgently needed mediator between the deeply hostile groups.