Evo Morales, the Socialist leader hailing from Bolivia, has made a royal comeback, literally! The person, who was forced to leave his country a year ago, is playing a key role in bringing the new President to office. For the time being, it is clear that Morales will not have a role in the newly-elected Government. However, it is almost certain that he would be returning to Bolivia after a long political exile… His long shadow over the recently held Presidential Elections speaks the ultimate truth! He not only influenced the Polls from the foreign soil, but also took part in the campaign. The Opposing parties, too, targeted the former President ahead of the elections. After the 2019 Presidential Polls in which Morales had been accused of rigging, the Bolivian Politics did not make much progress. Later, Morales was ousted by the militant movements. Although Senator Jeanine Áñez Chávez served as the interim President for the last one year, Luis Arce – the candidate of Morales – and last year’s runner-up Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert were the two main rivals in the recently-held Presidential Elections.

The return of Morales’ Movement for Socialism (MAS) Party to power is more important to the people of Bolivia, than the comeback of Morales as a person. The return of the MAS Party means re-establishment of its principles… as expected, the right-wing Government of Áñez binned the Socialist Policies in recent past. However, the outcome of the 2020 Presidential Polls has indicated that Bolivia would soon make a Left turn, yet again!

It is to be noted that the Latin American Nation had made a steady progress under the leadership of Morales from 2006 to 2019. During Morales’ Presidency, Bolivia recorded a rise in various international indices, maintained the highest economic growth rate in the continent, and secured its place at the top of the list of the countries with lowest crime rates! Successful implementation of social development projects in order to promote public education and to alleviate poverty had made the first tribal President of Bolivia a popular leader. This is why the victory of MAS Party has attracted global attention.

It is to be noted that the authoritarian rule by Morales was a major factor behind the mass protests in 2019. However, the US also played an important role in destabilising Bolivia. Therefore, Mexico, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries, where the Left-Wing Government is currently in power, have not only offered heartfelt congratulations to Bolivia, but have also described the outcome of Presidential Polls as the return of Latin America to Socialism in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic. After considering the scenario, the US has said that it would work with “whoever the Bolivians choose”.

Hence, Arce – the former Finance Minister of the Morales Administration – should be prepared to play an important role in the coming days. President-elect Arce would have to address issues, such as the deficit in hydrocarbon revenue, which is the main resource of the country rich in natural gas and minerals. Else, he would not be able to rescue the pandemic-affected National Economy…

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das