A Readout from Cochabamba
Bolivia is convulsed right now following the November 10 resignation of longtime president Evo Morales, following a flawed election process. The situation is fluid, complicated, and doesn’t lend itself to quick takes.
To get an idea of what is happening right now, we spoke at length to Kathryn Ledebur, a longtime Bolivia expert and colleague who directs the Andean Information Network in Cochabamba, Bolivia. We discuss:
- The election process and the events leading up to Morales’s resignation.
- The disorder and violence following the election, and missed opportunities to achieve an institutional solution to the crisis.
- The role of the military and police.
- The political opposition, which appears to be headed rapidly in an extreme direction.
- The mistakes made by, and future of, Morales’s long-ruling MAS party.
- The likelihood that Bolivia might be able to hold truly free and fair elections, with a level playing field.
- What daily life is like in a place like Cochabamba right now.
