Latest news with #ElAlto
France 24
11 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
'Never again': Indigenous Bolivians sour on socialism
The "Titanic," as the tallest building in the city is known, serves as the latest in a collection of uber-flamboyant neo-Andean "cholets" -- a mix of chalet and "chola" or Indigenous woman -- built by Bolivia's Aymara bourgeoisie over the past two decades. Victor Choque Flores, a self-made 46-year-old businessman, forked out millions of dollars for his "ship in a sea of bricks," as he calls his futuristic 12-story palace which looms large over El Alto's red-brick homes. "It's a bit like us," he said, adding that while rooted in the past, Indigenous Bolivians are "looking towards the future." For many Aymara, that future no longer includes the ruling socialists, who emancipated the Indigenous majority over the past two decades. For the first time since 2005, the political right is expected to triumph in presidential elections as Bolivians ditch the left over a deep economic crisis. Gratitude, frustration Nearly 20 years after one of South America's longest-serving presidents, Evo Morales, was elected on a promise of socialist revolution, the Andean country is running on empty. Widespread shortages of dollars, fuel and basic foodstuffs have left some Bolivians worse off than before he took over. Choque Flores still feels grateful to Morales, Bolivia's first Indigenous president, for throwing open the doors of power to the country's brown-skinned majority. But El Alto, a flourishing merchant city, is also increasingly defined by its residents' desire to simply get ahead. Accusing the socialists of multiple "failures," Choque Flores said he was ready to vote for "another political direction," without revealing which candidate. Gas War cauldron The fate of Bolivia's left is inextricably linked with El Alto. Morales came to power in the wake of a bloody crackdown on a revolt in the city over gas exports, which led to over 60 deaths and the fall of a US-backed president in 2003. In the years since, Morales repeatedly dispatched his supporters down the mountain from El Alto to the seat of government in La Paz to defend his causes. But the winds of change are blowing on the streets of the Andean metropolis, where women in traditional bowler hats, flouncy "pollera" skirts and shawls hawk goods as gleaming cable cars ferry commuters overhead. Across the million-strong city, walls are covered with leading center-right presidential candidate Samuel Doria Medina's promise to restore supplies of fuel and dollars in "100 dias carajo" (100 days goddammit). In a sign of the importance of the Indigenous vote, Doria Medina, who is running neck-and-neck with right-wing ex-president Jorge Quiroga, staged his final campaign rally in El Alto on Wednesday. Jonathan Vega, a 25-year-old chef who attended the gathering, said he was counting on Doria Medina to "restore stability." A 72-year-old farmer invited to discuss the election at the local "San Gabriel" Aymara-language TV and radio station also backed change. Arcenio Julio Tancara lambasted Morales's call for voters to spoil their ballot over the refusal by authorities to allow him to run for a fourth term. "He has always called for unrest and for strikes and blockades. "At first, we understood that it might be necessary, but since we've seen that it wasn't for a cause, but simply so that he'd be named leader." 'They disinfect themselves' Morales, who is wanted on charges of trafficking a minor, has sought to galvanize his base by warning that hard-won Indigenous rights are under threat if light-skinned politicians of European heritage take over. It's a tactic that plays well with rural Aymara particularly. "We don't want to go back to the 20th century," said Matilde Choque Apaza, the leader of an Indigenous and rural women's association, who wore a colorful "aguayo" hold-all knotted around her neck. Opposition candidates, she said, "clasp (Indigenous) hands tightly" when on the campaign trail, but when they get into their cars or go home, "they disinfect themselves." She backed the appeal made by Morales for a mass campaign of spoiled ballots to sap the election of legitimacy. Polls show around 14 percent of voters are set to answer his call -- a far cry from the three outright majorities Morales secured during his 2006-2019 rule. Santos Colque Quelca, a 38-year-old presenter at San Gabriel radio, said that growing numbers of listeners were swearing "never again with Evo or (current President Luis) Arce" and were switching their support to the "least bad" opposition candidate. Pablo Mamani Ramirez, a sociologist at UMSA university in La Paz, said Morales' bid for "eternal" rule ran counter to Indigenous traditions. "The logic of the Andean world is that power is rotated."
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Barred from Bolivia's elections, ex-leader Morales campaigns hard for invalid votes
EL ALTO, Bolivia — Barred from appearing on Sunday's ballot , former leftist president Evo Morales has launched a scrappy campaign for a presidential contender with no name, no face and no formal platform. The contender's known as 'Nulo' — Spanish for the null-and-void vote.
France 24
2 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Bolivia presidential hopefuls make last push for votes
Two right-wing candidates are leading the race for the first time since 2005 as voters desert the ruling Movement Towards Socialism party, blamed for the country's deep economic crisis, ahead of Sunday's vote. Polls show center-right business tycoon Samuel Doria Medina and right-wing ex-president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga running neck-and-neck on around 20 percent each, with six other candidates trailing far behind. The two frontrunners wound up their campaigns with fanfares, street parades and packed rallies. Doria Medina, who owns Bolivia's Burger King franchise among other businesses, pledged shock therapy to pull the country back from the brink of default. Speaking in the predominantly Indigenous city of El Alto -- a longtime stronghold of leftist ex-president Evo Morales -- he vowed to restore dwindling supplies of dollars and fuel "within 100 days" through austerity measures. Jonathan Vega, a 25-year-old chef, told AFP he was counting on Doria Media to "restore stability." Bolivians are struggling through the country's worst crisis in a generation, marked by acute shortages of dollars, fuel and subsidized bread. A dramatic drop in gas exports has eaten into the country's foreign currency reserves, making it unable to import sufficient fuel for its needs. Milei-style reforms Doria Medina and Quiroga have both vowed to cut costly fuel subsidies, partly roll back Morales-era nationalizations and close loss-making public companies. Speaking in the city of La Paz, Quiroga said his first priority would be to tamp down inflation, which rose to 24.8 percent year-on-year in July, its highest level since at least 2008. The 65-year-old also threatened to close the central bank, accusing the outgoing government of using it as a "credit card," and promised to flood Bolivia's lithium-rich Andean high plains with tax-free zones to attract investment. Quiroga's vision of a "small state" has seen him compared with Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei. Alejandro Rios, a 23-year-old lawyer attending Quiroga's rally, said he believed Milei-style reforms were "the right thing for Bolivia, to get out of this crisis." The two main left-wing candidates, Senate president Andronico Rodriguez and his Movement Towards Socialism rival, former interior minister Eduardo del Castillo, are polling in the single digits. Morales, 65, has called on his supporters to avenge his disqualification by spoiling their ballots. © 2025 AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Economic woes dominate as Bolivia prepares to go to the polls
As Bolivians prepare to vote in a general election, the country's deep economic woes are the central issue. Whoever becomes the nation's next president faces a very difficult job to try to sort out the mess. El Alto is Bolivia's second-largest city, home to 1.2 million people. And, at an elevation of 4,150m (13,615ft), it is the world's highest city with a population of more than 100,000. It's full of narrow streets with vendors trying to sell you everything from oranges to knock-off designer trainers. Standing on a pavement, car mechanic Josue Macias is enjoying an ice cream with his young son. He describes how Bolivia's sky-high inflation is affecting him and his family. The annual rate soared to 24% in June. "Prices for everything are going up, but we are still earning the same," he says. "We are just about getting by, but it's hard because food prices are rising all the time, things like meat, oil and eggs. They are double or triple what they used to be. "We've had to tighten our belts. We don't go out to eat in restaurants anymore. Instead, I'm here on the street having an ice-cream with my son!" Bolivia's inflation spike has been caused by a combination of factors. Falling natural gas production and therefore exports of this key foreign earner has led to a decline in overseas revenues. In turn, this has meant a shortage of US dollars, making it harder and more costly for the country to import petrol, diesel and food stuffs, leading to shortages and price hikes. It has led to street protests across the country. At some petrol stations across the country, lorry drivers often have to wait more than 24 hours to fill up. Taxi driver Gonzalo Ris is frustrated. As we drive along the pot-holed streets of La Paz, the country's administrative capital, he tells me about his struggles. "Before it was easy to fill up with petrol. Now I must wait for around four to six hours at the gas pump to get some, and that's too much. It's such a waste of time. "And the prices are so expensive," he adds. "Now the money we earn doesn't cover our costs. But we can't put our fares up because if we do, we won't have any customers. It would be too expensive for them." For almost 20 years the Bolivian government kept fuel prices artificially low through subsidies. This started when the government of then President Evo Morales nationalised the country's hydrocarbon sector in 2006. But in 2023, state energy company YPFB said Bolivia was running out of domestically-produced natural gas, due to a lack of investment in new exploration. Without this gas to export, the Bolivian government is struggling to continue to find the funds to subsidise petrol and diesel. Last year it spent $2bn (£1.5bn) on such subsidies, according to a recent statement by a former minister of hydrocarbons and energy. Outgoing left-wing President Luis Arce, who is not seeking re-election on 17 August, blamed the Bolivian parliament for the fall in natural gas production, accusing MPs of blocking vital oversea loans. His opponents in turn blame him for the economic turmoil. The official exchange rate of Bolivia's currency, the bolivianos, is certainly not helping matters. Since 2011 the government has fixed the exchange rate at 6.96 bolivianos to one US dollar. But unofficially you can get 14 to 15 bolivianos per dollar. This has led to a thriving black market, especially of exports, from which the government misses out on tax revenue. Economist Gary Rodriguez, the general manager for the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade, explains: "A product that costs seven bolivianos here in Bolivia can be sold for 15 bolivianos abroad," he says. "The problem is that businesses would prefer to sell items on the [overseas] black market rather than here in Bolivia which leads to food and fuel shortages." Restrictions on the use of credit cards is another headache for Bolivia's business community. "The problem with the credit cards is that all the banks have limits that are ridiculous," says Alessandra Guglielmi, who owns a food business called The Clean Spot. "You can [only] spend around $35 a month over the internet with online purchases. $35 is nothing for a business." She is concerned about her business going under. "I am worried with food prices going up I can't afford to pay my staff a decent salary," says Ms Guglielmi. "I am worried about the people not being able to afford to buy my products because I must put the prices up. "And I am worried because my margins have gone down so it's very hard right now for me to keep a business." Many people in Bolivia are hoping that a new government will be able to turn the country's fortunes around. Two right-wing candidates are currently ahead in the polls for the presidential race. Leading is Samuel Doria Medina of National Unity Front. He was previously the main shareholder of Bolivia's largest cement manufacturer. In second place is Jorge Quiroga of Freedom and Democracy. He has been president of Bolivia before, from 2001 to 2002. If no candidate gets more than half the votes on 17 August – which no-one is expected to achieve - then there will be a second round of voting on 19 October. Bolivian political scientist and analyst Franklin Pareja is sceptical that the next administration will be able to improve most people's lives. "The population is assigning a change in government almost magical qualities, because they think that with a change of government we'll return to stability and prosperity," he says. "And that's not going to happen. "Bolivia will only feel the hard impact of the economic crisis with a new government, because it will make structural economic changes, which will be unpopular." Mr Rodríguez is adamant that the Bolivian economy needs to be significantly altered. "We need to change the model, because the current model, has too much emphasis on the state," he says. "There are two actors, one the state sector and the other the private sector. The driver of development must be the citizen, the entrepreneur, and for that, the state must do what it's meant to do. In other words, good laws, good regulations, good institutions." While polls suggest Bolivia's next administration is likely to be right-wing, such radical governmental and economic change, to significantly reduce the state's role, is not expected.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Economic woes dominate as Bolivia prepares to go to the polls
As Bolivians prepare to vote in a general election, the country's deep economic woes are the central issue. Whoever becomes the nation's next president faces a very difficult job to try to sort out the Alto is Bolivia's second-largest city, home to 1.2 million people. And, at an elevation of 4,150m (13,615ft), it is the world's highest city with a population of more than 100, full of narrow streets with vendors trying to sell you everything from oranges to knock-off designer trainers. Standing on a pavement, car mechanic Josue Macias is enjoying an ice cream with his young describes how Bolivia's sky-high inflation is affecting him and his family. The annual rate soared to 24% in June."Prices for everything are going up, but we are still earning the same," he says. "We are just about getting by, but it's hard because food prices are rising all the time, things like meat, oil and eggs. They are double or triple what they used to be."We've had to tighten our belts. We don't go out to eat in restaurants anymore. Instead, I'm here on the street having an ice-cream with my son!" Bolivia's inflation spike has been caused by a combination of factors. Falling natural gas production and therefore exports of this key foreign earner has led to a decline in overseas turn, this has meant a shortage of US dollars, making it harder and more costly for the country to import petrol, diesel and food stuffs, leading to shortages and price hikes. It has led to street protests across the some petrol stations across the country, lorry drivers often have to wait more than 24 hours to fill driver Gonzalo Ris is frustrated. As we drive along the pot-holed streets of La Paz, the country's administrative capital, he tells me about his struggles."Before it was easy to fill up with petrol. Now I must wait for around four to six hours at the gas pump to get some, and that's too much. It's such a waste of time."And the prices are so expensive," he adds. "Now the money we earn doesn't cover our costs. But we can't put our fares up because if we do, we won't have any customers. It would be too expensive for them." For almost 20 years the Bolivian government kept fuel prices artificially low through subsidies. This started when the government of then President Evo Morales nationalised the country's hydrocarbon sector in in 2023, state energy company YPFB said Bolivia was running out of domestically-produced natural gas, due to a lack of investment in new this gas to export, the Bolivian government is struggling to continue to find the funds to subsidise petrol and diesel. Last year it spent $2bn (£1.5bn) on such subsidies, according to a recent statement by a former minister of hydrocarbons and left-wing President Luis Arce, who is not seeking re-election on 17 August, blamed the Bolivian parliament for the fall in natural gas production, accusing MPs of blocking vital oversea loans. His opponents in turn blame him for the economic official exchange rate of Bolivia's currency, the bolivianos, is certainly not helping matters. Since 2011 the government has fixed the exchange rate at 6.96 bolivianos to one US unofficially you can get 14 to 15 bolivianos per dollar. This has led to a thriving black market, especially of exports, from which the government misses out on tax Gary Rodriguez, the general manager for the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade, explains: "A product that costs seven bolivianos here in Bolivia can be sold for 15 bolivianos abroad," he says."The problem is that businesses would prefer to sell items on the [overseas] black market rather than here in Bolivia which leads to food and fuel shortages." Restrictions on the use of credit cards is another headache for Bolivia's business community."The problem with the credit cards is that all the banks have limits that are ridiculous," says Alessandra Guglielmi, who owns a food business called The Clean Spot."You can [only] spend around $35 a month over the internet with online purchases. $35 is nothing for a business."She is concerned about her business going under."I am worried with food prices going up I can't afford to pay my staff a decent salary," says Ms Guglielmi. "I am worried about the people not being able to afford to buy my products because I must put the prices up."And I am worried because my margins have gone down so it's very hard right now for me to keep a business." Many people in Bolivia are hoping that a new government will be able to turn the country's fortunes around. Two right-wing candidates are currently ahead in the polls for the presidential is Samuel Doria Medina of National Unity Front. He was previously the main shareholder of Bolivia's largest cement second place is Jorge Quiroga of Freedom and Democracy. He has been president of Bolivia before, from 2001 to no candidate gets more than half the votes on 17 August – which no-one is expected to achieve - then there will be a second round of voting on 19 political scientist and analyst Franklin Pareja is sceptical that the next administration will be able to improve most people's lives. "The population is assigning a change in government almost magical qualities, because they think that with a change of government we'll return to stability and prosperity," he says. "And that's not going to happen."Bolivia will only feel the hard impact of the economic crisis with a new government, because it will make structural economic changes, which will be unpopular."Mr Rodríguez is adamant that the Bolivian economy needs to be significantly altered. "We need to change the model, because the current model, has too much emphasis on the state," he says."There are two actors, one the state sector and the other the private sector. The driver of development must be the citizen, the entrepreneur, and for that, the state must do what it's meant to do. In other words, good laws, good regulations, good institutions."While polls suggest Bolivia's next administration is likely to be right-wing, such radical governmental and economic change, to significantly reduce the state's role, is not expected.
