Bolivia's crisis exposes old racial, geographic divides

[Judi Lynn]

The Associated Press
November 17, 2019, 12:03 AM

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivia’s increasingly violent political crisis is exposing historical racial, ethnic and geographic divides that many thought had been overcome after 14 years of rule by the Andean nation’s first indigenous president and a new “plurinational” constitution, analysts say.

While regionally Sunday’s resignation of Evo Morales marked the exit of the last member of the wave of leftist leaders who took power in South America in recent decades, inside Bolivia the departure of the president who had stabilized the chronically unstable nation was a political earthquake that has re-opened old cracks.

Analysts say the movement to oust Morales was an urban middle-class revolt against what opponents said was fraud in his re-election and his repeated bids to retool the constitution to extend his rule through four terms. After weeks of protests, military leaders urged Morales to step down.

. . .

Morales upended politics on Jan. 22, 2006 when he took power in a nation long ruled by light-skinned descendants of Europeans even though 65% of the population identify themselves as members of an ethnic group. His election was hailed as a milestone achievement for the nation’s indigenous population which had not gained the right to vote until 1952.

More:
https://wtop.com/latin-america/2019/11/bolivias-crisis-exposes-old-racial-geographic-divides/