Global South Politics: The ‘collapse’ of Bolivia’s ruling MAS party - Video
Bolivia’s ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) party suffered a major rejection from voters in the August 17 elections, with analysts pointing to economic woes and internal divisions as the main drivers of its decline.
Speaking in an interview on the election outcome with the Global South World, journalist and researcher Thomas van Linge said the left-wing party was “punished” by an electorate weary of shortages, rising hardships, and political infighting.
Van Linge argued that the struggling economy was the first major factor behind MAS’s poor performance. “The belief is that the economy is in a very dire state. There’s a lot of regulation, very little free markets, shortages of essential goods, petrol shortages. Regular Bolivians are really feeling that in their everyday lives,” he explained.
The second factor, Van Linge noted, was the deep internal rift within MAS. He described how the party, once the dominant force in Bolivian politics, fractured into rival factions led by former President Evo Morales and his successor, Luis Arce.
“The conflict basically came down to who would take the ticket for the MAS party in this election. Morales wanted to come back as president, while Arce had the ambition to continue his mandate. Both being very power-hungry politicians, they couldn’t solve this in a civilised manner and basically tore the party apart,” Van Linge said.
The infighting, he added, left many Bolivians disillusioned. “The protests and the public arguments put people off completely. The MAS was presenting itself as a mess,” he added.
Founded under Morales, who governed from 2006 to 2019, MAS became synonymous with leftist rule in Bolivia. But this year’s election results show the party has lost much of its grip, with voters turning to opposition candidates in frustration.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
