Background: On October 20, Bolivia elected incumbent President Evo Morales to a fourth presidential term. Preliminary results necessitated a runoff election, however, after a delay of the vote count, Morales emerged with an outright victory. [i] On October 21, the European Union and the Organization of American States expressed concern over the delay with the European Union stating the unanticipated interruption “sparked serious concerns that need to be fully and swiftly addressed.” [ii] On October 22, Bolivian protesters began demonstrations in La Paz, the nation’s administrative capital, drawing police response. [iii] Protests spread to other major cities and rapidly escalated, resulting in two deaths. On November 10, President Morales resigned due to military leaders and police officials demanding his withdrawal. [iv] In addition to President Morales, the top four officials in the chain of succession also resigned, leaving the presidency to Second Vice President of the Senate Jeanine Anez until January 22. [v] An election must take place within 90 days in accordance with the Bolivian constitution.

Sources

[i].“A Guide to 2019 Latin American Elections: Bolivia.” America Society and Council of the Americas, November 10, 2019. https://www.as-coa.org/content/guide-2019-latin-american-elections/bolivia.

[ii]. Youkee, Mat. “Bolivia Braces for Fresh Protests as Officials Say Evo Morales Close to Victory.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, October 22, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/21/bolivia-confusion-over-election-results-sparks-fear-and-protests.

[iii]. Machicao, Monica. “Bolivian Protesters Flood Capital as Morales Whisker Away from Outright Victory.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, October 23, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bolivia-election/bolivian-protesters-flood-capital-as-morales-whisker-away-from-outright-victory-idUSKBN1X11RB.

[iv]. “Bolivian President Evo Morales Resigns amid Fraud Poll Protests.” BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation, November 10, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50370013.

[v]. Andone, Dakin. “Evo Morales Resigns in Bolivia. Here's What You Need to Know.” CNN. Cable News Network, November 11, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/11/americas/bolivia-morales-resignation-q-and-a-intl/index.html.