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Beyond Defeat In Bolivia: Limits Of Left Electoral Strategy In Latin America

August 25, 2025 Manolo De Los Santos and Zoe Alexandra, Resumen English. , , , , , ,
Bolivia’s left lost big in Sunday’s election, and a lot of the analysis in progressive circles has focused solely on the feud between former president Evo Morales and sitting president, Luis Arce. Morales was barred from running in the elections by Arce’s government and subsequently called for a null or blank vote in the contest. On Sunday, August 17, two right-wing candidates, Rodrigo Paz and Jorge Quiroga, emerged victorious, and they will proceed to the second round in October. The feud between the two former comrades definitely played a factor in the demise of the once-vibrant and electorally successful party, MAS (Movement Towards Socialism). But the real story and the bigger lesson for the Latin American left is about more than just political rivalries. The roots of this defeat are deeper.

Five Myths About The Crisis Of The Left In Bolivia

August 24, 2025 Sacha Llorenti, Orinoco Tribune. , , ,
I have read with great attention many comrades, people whom I love and respect a lot, simplifying the situation of the crisis of the left in Bolivia. I know that these criticisms come from honest people, born out of genuine concerns and solidarity with the Bolivian people. However, a series of common points emerge that deserve an explanation, given the unique characteristics of Bolivia, its social movements, and its left. It is not egos, lack of generosity, or meanness that marked the break between the social movements and the government of Luis Arce. This is a reductionism that hides a lack of understanding of what the MAS, the political instrument of the social organizations that came to conquer political power in Bolivia in December 2005, means.

US Counterinsurgency Wins In Bolivia

August 21, 2025 Clau O'Brien Moscoso, Black Agenda Report. , , , ,
On Sunday August 17, 2025, the first round of presidential elections in the Plurinational State of Bolivia were held in the small Andean nation of 12 million people. Now the country is headed to an October 19 run-off between centrist Christian Democratic Party Senator Rodrigo Paz, the son of a former president, and former right wing President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga of the Libre Party. The election results on Sunday ended twenty years of MAS-IPSP (Movement Towards Socialism - Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the People) in power with MAS candidate and current Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo polling at between 1-2%, effectively completing the objectives of the 2019 coup. 

The Bolivian Left’s Self-Destructive Path

August 20, 2025 William Camacaro, COHA. , , ,
The Bolivian political landscape is currently characterized by a deep, self-inflicted crisis within the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) which has culminated in a devastating electoral defeat yesterday. As the country approached the crucial presidential elections of August 17, 2025, the party’s leaders—specifically former President Evo Morales and President Luis Arce Catacora—engaged in a series of personal attacks and internal conflicts that paved the way for their own defeat. This political irresponsibility, driven by ambitions and factionalism, has enabled the return to power of the very right-wing forces that the MAS struggled for years to overcome.

Bolivia Turns To The Right

August 19, 2025 Pablo Meriguet, People's Dispatch. , , ,
With more than 95.41% of the votes counted, Bolivia’s Plurinational Electoral Body reported that, according to the preliminary results, Rodrigo Paz of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) and former president Jorge Quiroga of the Free Alliance (AL) emerged as the big winners on election day. Paz obtained more than 32% of the valid votes, while Quiroga obtained almost 27%. Bolivia’s current president, Luis Arce, said in a speech to the nation: “We have made every effort to ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral process.” For Arce, who decided to withdraw his election campaign in May, the election result was a severe blow, as his party, the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), came in sixth place, its worst electoral performance in decades.

Can South Korea’s New President Stand Up To Washington?

June 29, 2025 Ju-Hyun Park, People's Dispatch. , , , , , , , ,
On June 3, the Republic of Korea (ROK) held a snap election to fill the vacant office of the presidency following the ouster of Yoon Suk-Yeol, who was impeached after his failed coup attempt on December 3, 2024. Lee Jae Myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party (DP) and Yoon’s former rival in the 2022 election, emerged victorious with 49% of the vote, and was sworn into office on June 4. As president, Lee now faces the challenge of navigating the economic, political, and geostrategic dimensions of the ROK’s generalized crisis. Unrelenting US aggression has pushed tension on the peninsula and the wider region to a breaking point.

Tenacious Bolivarian Resistance Against Obstinate US Aggression

June 23, 2025 Francisco Dominguez, Countercurrents. , , , ,
On the eve of Venezuela’s presidential election on 29th July 2024, Guardian correspondents, Tiago Rogero (based in Rio de Janeiro) and Sam Jones (based in Madrid) predicted the vote “could end 25 years of socialist rule.” It did not. The following, 30 July, another group of Guardian correspondents gave prominent coverage to far-right wing Venezuelan politician Maria Corina Machado, quoting her claim that “Maduro’s exit was inevitable.” Yet, Nicolas Maduro was inaugurated as the re-elected president for the 2025-2031 term on 10 January 2025. The July 2024 presidential election was followed by the election for National Assembly deputies and all 24 governorships of Venezuela’s federal structure on 25 May 2025.

Communities From Global South Know What Democracy Is

June 17, 2025 Ashish Kothari, Resilience. , , ,
The contrast could not be starker. In 2024, with over 60 countries covering half the world’s population going to the polls, there was a clear tendency to vote in right-wing political parties with thin democratic pretensions. In many countries including India, USA, Argentina, and Russia, and in the European Parliament, the trend was clear. A powerful counterpoint to this was provided by a modest but inspirational gathering of Indigenous peoples and local communities from over 20 countries, in South Africa, in February 2025. They spoke about how their foundations were not hegemonic power and profits, but justice, equity, and respect not only amongst peoples but also with the rest of nature.

When Media Tell Us Who ‘Won’ A Latin American Election, Ask Questions

June 11, 2025 John Perry, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. , , , ,
Elections in Latin America are often controversial. While many countries in the Global North regularly shuffle between parties offering alternating versions of neoliberalism, voting in Central and South America often offers starker contrasts: An anti-imperialist candidate in the mold of Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez might be up against a neoliberal such as Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. It could hardly be otherwise, in a region with the world’s biggest gap between the richest and poorest. North American and European corporate media are conscious of this complexity, but rarely convey it to their readers, instead issuing reports that lack sufficient context or history.

The Revolution Of Light And Korea’s Democratic Triumph

June 8, 2025 Simone Chun, Counter Punch. , , , ,
One of the most consequential missteps in US Korea policy under the Biden administration was the failure to engage with South Korea’s domestic political realities, particularly the widespread public opposition to President Yoon Suk-yeol’s increasingly authoritarian rule. By relentlessly propping up Yoon to serve Washington’s geopolitical agenda and its escalating Cold War posture toward China, the Biden administration not only ignored Korean public sentiment but also fueled domestic unrest. Domestic outrage against Yoon’s regime came to a head with his attempted imposition of martial law on December 3, 2024—a move that exposed the fragility of his position and deeply damaged Washington’s credibility in the region.

Following Kamala’s Script, Maryland Governor Vetoes Reparations Bill

May 31, 2025 Jon Jeter, Black Agenda Report. , , ,
With his veto earlier this month of legislation to study reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, signaled two things: first, he intends to seek his party’s nomination for the White House in 2028; and secondly, he plans to redeploy the discredited strategy of appealing to white voters by distancing his campaign from African Americans. If recent history is any guide, that dog won’t hunt for Moore, the nation’s lone African American governor, any more than it did for Kamala Harris in her presidential campaign last year or Hilary Clinton in 2016. Both Harris and Clinton cut their teeth as politicians with policies that the African American working class widely regarded as deeply racist; both lost to Donald Trump.

Venezuela’s Participatory Democracy And The Struggle Against Imperialism

May 31, 2025 Cira Pasqual Marquina, Venezuelanalysis. , , ,
Alison Bodine is an anti-imperialist activist and solidarity organizer based in Canada who is active with the Venezuela Solidarity Network and the Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice. She has visited Venezuela regularly since 2018 as part of international observation missions. Bodine is the author of Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Venezuela, a book that analyzes the Bolivarian Process and the challenges it faces. In this conversation with Venezuelanalysis, Bodine discusses her experience as an international observer during Venezuela’s most recent parliamentary and regional elections held on May 25.

Ballots And Bias: How The Press Framed Venezuela’s Elections.

May 29, 2025 Roger D. Harris, Popular Resistance. , , , , ,
The pro-government alliance achieved a sweeping victory in Venezuela’s May 25 elections, while a fractured opposition suffered losses. Western media distorted the results – spinning low turnout claims, ignoring the role of illegal US sanctions, and offering selective sympathy to elite opposition figures. At stake for the 54 contesting Venezuelan political parties were seats for 285 National Assembly deputies, 24 state governors, and 260 regional legislators. The pro-government coalition won all but one of the governorships, taking three of the four states previously held by the opposition. The loss of the state of Barinas was particularly symbolic for this was the birthplace of former President Hugo Chávez; and especially so, because the winner was Adán Chávez, the late president’s older brother.

ALBA-TCP Congratulates Venezuela On Successful Elections

May 26, 2025 TeleSURenglish. , , ,
On Monday, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) congratulated Venezuela for successfully holding regional and parliamentary elections. Earlier, on Sunday night, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) had won 23 out of 24 governorships. The Bolivarian Revolution also secured 40 out of 50 seats in the National Assembly. Among the new legislators will be current ALBA Secretary Jorge Arreaza. “The ALBA member states applaud and congratulate the people and government of the sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for the resounding success of the legislative and regional elections held this Sunday, May 25, 2025.

Germany In Crisis Part 4: Wanderers And Seekers

May 6, 2025 Patrick Lawrence, Scheer Post. , , ,
Dresden, May 6 — Friedrich Merz barely managed to assume power Tuesday as the Federal Republic’s 10th chancellor, having fallen six votes short of the number he needed when the first Bundestag ballots were counted in a morning vote. Berlin was reeling for most of the day as it faced a political impasse unprecedented in postwar German history. A second ballot, held hurriedly later in the afternoon, got Merz over the line by a margin of nine votes. While Bundestag members vote secretly, the numbers indicate that some members of his new coalition betrayed him. Among the German analysts with whom I spoke today, the interesting question now is how long Merz will manage to remain as chancellor.
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