Socialists claim massive victory in Bolivia

[melman]

Source: Washington Post

LA PAZ, Bolivia — Exit polls issued early Monday showed Bolivia's Socialists taking a seemingly insurmountable lead in the country's bitterly fought presidential election, a result that, if confirmed by the official tally, would amount to a massive popular rebuke of the right-wing forces that drove the left from power a year ago.

Sunday’s much-delayed election was a replay of last year’s contest. That vote ended with longtime socialist President Evo Morales fleeing to exile as opponents alleged electoral fraud and supporters decried a “coup.”


Morales, banned from running this time, watched from Argentina as his former finance minister, front-runner Luis Arce, 57, faced two main competitors with the objective of stopping a socialist comeback — the centrist former president Carlos Mesa, 67, and right-wing nationalist Luis Camacho, 41.


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In a tweet, the right-wing, U.S.-backed interim president, Jeanine Áñez Chavez, noted that the official tally was still being counted. But she nevertheless recognized Arce’s apparent victory.

“We do not yet have an official count, but from the data we have, Mr. Arce and [his vice-presidential candidate] Mr. [David] Choquehuanca have won the election. I congratulate the winners and ask them to govern with Bolivia and democracy in mind.”


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/bolivia-election-evo-arce-mesa-camacho/2020/10/18/205b6b5c-0f11-11eb-8a35-237ef1eb2ef7_story.html

[elleng]

1. 'I congratulate the winners and ask them to govern with Bolivia and democracy in mind."'

[regnaD kciN]

2. I wonder if Arce will be allowed to take office?

The interim president may have conceded, but I’m not sure the powers behind her (especially the military) will do the same.

[ret5hd]

7. What about Musk?

[Layzeebeaver]

3. Hurray for this! Another right wing and middle ground defeat

Added bonus: there will be no President Camacho

[Lucky Luciano]

15. No President Camacho!

[Judi Lynn]

4. What will be Trump's next vile stunt to try to deny the landslide victory its legitimacy?

He needs to know there are people watching his meddling in Bolivia all over the world these days.

Thank you, melman!

Bolivian socialist candidate Arce set to win election outright, exit poll shows

Issued on: 19/10/2020 - 07:55
Modified: 19/10/2020 - 07:58

Text by:
FRANCE 24
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Video by:
Alexander AUCOTT
5 min

Bolivia's socialist candidate Luis Arce looks set to win the country's presidential election without the need for a run-off, an unofficial count indicated on Monday, putting the leftwing party of Evo Morales on the brink of a return to power.

The quick-count from pollster Ciesmori, released by Bolivian TV channel Unitel around midnight on Sunday, showed Arce had 52.4 percent of valid votes, more than 20 percentage points above the second-place centrist rival Carlos Mesa, who had 31.5 percent.

The official count had reached just five percent of votes cast, and exit polls had been delayed hours after polls closed, leaving Bolivians in the dark about the election result. A candidate needs 40 percent of the votes and a 10-point lead to win outright.

"All the data known so far indicate that there has been a victory for the Movement towards Socialism," Morales, who handpicked Arce and has been closely advising the campaign, said in a press conference in Buenos Aires.

Arce, a former economy minister under Morales, sounded confident of victory without explicitly claiming the win at his own press conference shortly after midnight in the Bolivian capital La Paz.

More:
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20201019-bolivian-socialist-candidate-arce-set-to-win-election-outright-exit-poll-shows






Camacho, Mesa and Arce

[ArizonaLib]

13. Is there speculation that he will try to stop the count ON election day?

He asks the supreme court to take over the election, even though in Bush v. Gore the court was explicit it wasn't a precedent? If this court were to rule on Bush v. Gore knowing the independent ballot count published in 9/2001 showed a Gore win, they would still rule with the secretary of state, or the state's certified submission.

I wonder what the governor of Florida has been coerced with - he is governor Trump.

I don't how see our government backing right wing governments while destroying non right wing ones is not purely evil.

[AZ8theist]

5. The fight against Fascism continues.

I would have hoped, that in my lifetime, this war would be over. Unfortunately, it took a World War to stop it the first time, and it was still smoldering around the world. It's reared it's disgusting, vile head in the 21st century.

Humans will never evolve further (and may well go extinct) if the scourge of ignorant bigotry is not eliminated.

[Yeehah]

9. Well said and I share your sentiment

There are wealthy people around the globe who wish to be de facto monarchs and seek to destroy democracy.

[James48]

6. The October Surprise

Will be Trump ordering the 82nd Airborne to jump into Bolivia and overthrow the newly elected Socialist government.

Hell, we haven’t had a good anti-socialist American invasion in a long time! What better opportunity to wag the dog than this??

Socialists right here in our own side of the world, just in time to fill the newspapers before election !!!

Troops move in 5-4-3-2-1....

[McKim]

8. Just Heartbreaking

It's just heartbreaking to think that Trump might spend our tax dollars on an invasion for a photo op. We have wasted so much money on a bellicose foreign policy in th last 20 years meanwhile we lack Day Care, Health Care, Jobs, Community Centers, and Adequat Public Services. War, it's why we can't have nice things!!!!

[3Hotdogs]

10. Not to worry ........

The C.I.A. will disappear their socialist asses.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

11. Congratulations to the people of Bolivia!

Way to kick that horrid fascist Jeanine Áñez Chavez to the curb.

[melman]

14. Nice

Link to tweet

[Humanist_Activist]

16. Hmm, curious as to what the coup supporters on this board think, especially with the repeated claim.

that last years coup was a "coup by the people".

[melman]

17. Yes

It would be very interesting to hear from those people but I doubt we ever will.

[Humanist_Activist]

18. How many people died during the unrest following the coup?

This is a victory, yes, but one that wasn't necessary in the first place.