INSIGHTi

Bolivia: Presidential Resignation and
Aftermath
November 12, 2019
On November 10, 2019, Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned and subsequently received asylum in
Mexico. Bolivia’s military had recommended that Morales step down to prevent an escalation of violence
after weeks of protests alleging fraud in the October 20, 2019, presidential election. While Morales has
described his ouster as a “coup,” the opposition has described it as a “popular uprising” against an
authoritarian leader who sought to remain in office through electoral fraud. The three individuals in line to
succeed Morales (the vice president and the presidents of the senate and chamber of deputies) also
resigned, leaving Bolivia without clear leadership. The congress is struggling to select an interim leader to
serve until new elections are convened.
The U.S. Department of State supported the findings of an Organization of American States (OAS) audit
that found enough irregularities in the October elections to recommend a new election under a new
electoral tribunal. President Trump praised Morales’s resignation and said his departure “paves the way
for the Bolivian people to have their voice heard.” State Department officials have called for all parties to
refrain from violence and issued a travel warning for Bolivia. Congressional concern about Bolivia has
increased over the past year as Morales has pursued a fourth term. S.Res. 35, approved in April 2019,
expresses concern over efforts to circumvent term limits in Bolivia.
Morales Government (2006-2019)
President Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous leader, had governed since 2006 as the head of the
Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. With two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers,
Morales and the MAS transformed Bolivia (see CRS In Focus IF11325, Bolivia: An Overview). They
decriminalized coca cultivation, increased state control over the economy, and used natural gas revenue to
expand social programs. Morales and the MAS enacted a new constitution (2009) that recognizes
indigenous peoples’ rights and autonomy and allows for land reform. Previously underrepresented groups,
including the indigenous peoples who constitute 40% of the population, increased their representation in
government. Traditional Bolivian elites opposed these changes and have become leaders of the recent
protests.
Although Bolivia’s economic performance has been strong under President Morales, there has been an
erosion of some democratic institutions and relations with the United States have deteriorated. Under
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Morales, annual economic growth averaged some 4.5% from 2006 to 2018 and poverty rates fell from
60% in 2006 to 34.6% in 2018. Governance standards have remained weak, especially those involving
accountability, transparency, and separation of powers. The Morales government launched judicial
proceedings against opposition politicians, dismissed judges, and restricted press freedom. Morales
aligned his country with Hugo Chávez of Venezuela vis-à-vis the United States, and Bolivia-U.S.
relations have remained tense since he expelled the U.S. ambassador in 2008.
A Disputed Reelection
Figure 1. Bolivia at a Glance
Many observers expressed concerns about
democracy in Bolivia as Morales sought to
remain in office beyond his third term (he won
reelection in 2009 and 2014). In 2017, Bolivia’s
Constitutional Tribunal removed constitutional
limits on reelection established in the 2009
constitution. The decision overruled a 2016
referendum in which voters rejected a
constitutional change to allow Morales to serve
another term. Since then, periodic protests have

occurred.
Sources: CRS Graphics, International Monetary Fund (IMF),
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Instituto Nacional de
In January 2019, President Morales won the MAS Estadísticas (INE), Global Trade Atlas (GTA).
primary and began campaigning for a fourth term.
Opposition candidates included former President Carlos Mesa (2003-2005) of the Civic Community
Party; Oscar Ortiz, a senator from the “Bolivia Says No” Party; and Chi Hyun Chung, an evangelical
minister from the Christian Democratic Party. Morales needed to win by a 10-point margin in the first-
round election to avoid a second-round runoff in mid-December against a potentially unified opposition.
Bolivia’s first-round election in October 2019 was marred by allegations of fraud in the vote tabulation.
The country’s electoral agency said Morales won a narrow first-round victory, but opposition candidate
Mesa rejected that result and OAS election observers described irregularities in the process. Mesa and
other opposition leaders called for protesters to demand a new election and then urged them to push for
Morales’s resignation. On October 30, the Morales government agreed to have the OAS audit the election
results and to participate in a runoff election if recommended by the audit. Nevertheless, protests turned
increasingly violent, with at least three individuals killed and hundreds injured.
On November 10, 2019, the OAS issued the preliminary findings of its electoral audit, which concluded
that enough irregularities occurred in the elections to merit a new election. Morales agreed to hold new
elections, but his offer did not satisfy the opposition. After a police mutiny, clashes between his
supporters and the opposition, and an army declaration urging him to step down, Morales resigned and
sought asylum in Mexico.
A Constitutional Way Forward?
According to the Bolivian constitution, the national assembly of Bolivia must achieve a quorum to accept
Morales’s resignation and name an interim government. That interim government would then have 90
days to convene new elections. The MAS-dominated legislature has thus far boycotted legislative
sessions. With the MAS unlikely to approve Senator Jeanine Añez, an opposition senator who has
declared herself interim leader, the path forward in Bolivia remains unclear.

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U.S. Concerns
The United States remains concerned about the political vacuum in Bolivia, but its role in supporting
stability and a return to democracy likely will be limited. Bolivia-U.S. relations have remained tense
following the 2008 ousting of the U.S. ambassador, and bilateral assistance to the country ended in 2013,
after Bolivia expelled the U.S. Agency from International Development.
Following the election in Bolivia, U.S. statements have largely mirrored those of the OAS
General Secretariat and the European Union (the main donor in Bolivia). On November 12,
2019, the United States and 14 other countries issued a statement rejecting violence, calling for a
constitutional solution to the crisis, and urging the designation of a provisional president to call
new elections as soon as possible. Regional consensus on Bolivia may erode over whether to
recognize Añez as interim president.

Author Information

Clare Ribando Seelke

Specialist in Latin American Affairs




Disclaimer
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