Clash between supporters of Morales and Arce as parties debate suspending primaries in Bolivia

Political disputes between the two factions of the ruling party in Boliviabetween supporters of President Luis Arce and those close to former President Evo Morales, resulted in a street clash in La Paz on Wednesday, while representatives of all the country’s political parties were discussing a political agreement to suspend the internal primaries of each organization with a view to the 2025 elections.

The confrontation occurred two weeks after a Failed coup attempt against the Arce government by the military, which was later questioned by opposition sectors as a self-coup and which deepened the rift within the ruling party.

Supporters of Arce and Morales clashed on Wednesday with stones, sticks and even tomatoes outside the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), according to television images. The police used tear gas to disperse them and positioned themselves between both groups to avoid further incidents.

The mayor’s office in the city of La Paz, where the Bolivian government is located, reported that a rock hit Mayor Iván Arias in one of his eyebrows. Arias said he approached the protesters to ask them not to destroy the public ornamentation.

Grover García, a representative of the ruling party Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) affiliated with Arce, said that supporters of Evo Morales (2006-2019) attacked them with stones and that they expect sanctions.

On the other side, Juan Quispe, who is close to Morales, claimed that García does not represent them in the MAS and that their leader and head of the ruling party is Morales.

Internal disputes within the MAS have intensified since last year between those who support Arce and those who defend his mentor Morales. They have led to the blocking of laws within the Assembly due to a lack of majority and to a division over who should be the party leader and the next presidential candidate for the ruling party in 2025.

Morales has announced his intention to run for the MAS and, although Arce has not yet made his candidacy official, analysts say he is campaigning.

The tense moments of Wednesday were in front of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, where all the country’s parties were summoned to debate whether, given the lack of time, each political organization should suspend its internal primaries to choose the candidate who will run in next year’s elections.

The meeting, convened by the TSE, was attended by members of all political forces and parties in the country, including Evo Morales. Representing Arce was the Minister of the Presidency, María Nela Prada. The Bolivian president was invited, but did not attend the meeting. On his X account, formerly Twitter, he wrote that he met with his cabinet in the morning.

The proposal to suspend the internal primaries, which was supposed to be agreed upon by all parties, was left pending the position of Morales’ supporters within the ruling party and then, if applicable, approval by Congress, which is currently vacant.

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