Crisis In Bolivia

 

Bolivia almost had another coup. Compounded by economic challenges it has not maintained stability. This has been the case since 2019. The overthrow of Evo Morales left Bolivia subject to a far-right turn in politics. Although the attempted coup was thwarted, questions remain. These events are going to have an impact on the 2025 presidential election. The coup attempted has been traced to general Juan Jose Zuniga. Others have accused President Luis Arce of trying to do a self coup. This is not new to South America. President Alberto Fujimori of Peru did this in 1992.  So far, there is no evidence to prove this claim. The biggest concern is the growing split in the Movement for Socialism. Evo Morales wants to run for office once more, but the Constitutional Court is barring him. The motivation is a political one. The changes made under former president Jeanine Anez remain in place. The election of Luis Arce was a sign of a return to normalcy. Inflation and other economic concerns are the center of attention. The average Bolivian is being harmed by slow economic growth. Arce only presented the illusion of a return to a stable nation. Bolivia is experiencing a shortage of US dollars, a decrease in foreign reserves, and a fiscal  deficit. One reason general Zuniga attempted a coup was that he accused the government of impoverishing Bolivia. President Luis Arce was an economist and was appointed economic minister in 2006 by Evo Morales. The assumption was that he would be able to solve Bolivia economic hardship. Bolivia is rich in natural resources and should be able to generate more business. Slow economic growth contributes to coups and political factionalism in MAS. If these concerns are not address Bolivia could lapse into greater instability.