Evo emphasizes positives as Bolivians remain divided

Bolivian President Evo Morales emphasized the progress made under his administration as part of the country’s Independence Day celebrations today. During a rally in La Paz, Morales said that the nationalization of several industries helped Bolivia’s economy and social programs helped the country’s poor. In addition, he claimed that he “doesn’t fear” a recall referendum set to take place on August 10th.

Tensions between pro-government and opposition factions in Bolivia continue to simmer in the prelude to Sunday’s vote. A planned summit between Morales and Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Cristina Kirchner of Argentina was nixed after police and protestors clashed in southern Bolivia. Morales’ speech today was supposed to be done in the city of Sucre, but that was prevented by “road blocks, opposition hunger strikes and other protests.”

Morales is expected to easily win the recall vote though that may not be the same for several opposition governors according to analyst Eduardo Gamarra:

(…)The president is basically running a riskless election. In fact, it is a referendum that can only work in his favor. Now, having said that, at the same time the governors or the prefects…have more to lose than the president and largely because the way in which the law that convokes the referendum is written. To lose, the president needs the majority of people to vote against him. To lose, the prefects do not need a majority; a simple minority could end their terms. The president would then have the right to name the successor rather than calling for a new election. In the case that the president loses, there’s a need for an immediate call for a new round of elections. It is relatively complicated but the point is that the president is risking very little and the prefects have much to lose.

Sources (English)- Prensa Latina, Reuters UK, BBC News,washingtonpost.com, Council of the Americas, Bloomberg, Angus Reid Global Consultants

Sources (Spanish)- Milenio

Image- TIME ("A man walks past political propaganda endorsing Bolivia's President Evo Morales in Warisata.")