Thursday, October 22, 2020

Intercept bureau chief on Bolivian election: Right-wing government 'reminded everybody how important it was to have socialists in power'

10/20/2020

The presumptive victory in Bolivia's presidential election by Luis Arce shows the enduring strength of socialist parties and politicians in that country, the Washington, D.C., bureau chief of The Intercept said Tuesday on Hill.TV.

“People who were in their 20s there basically never knew anything other than Morales being in leadership,” the Intercept's Ryan Grim said, referring to the former Bolivian leader Evo Morales, who was forced out of office last year.

“But one year of right wing government reminded everybody how important it was to have socialists in power. The right wing government had no mandate when they came in,” Grim said.

Arce is an ally of Morales, who was also a mentor of new new Bolivian leader.

While the vote is still being counted in the race, the main centrist candidate has conceded, all but completely assuring a victory for Arce, the Socialist candidate.

Grims credited Arce's victory to the previous government doing more “looting the Treasury than actually governing.” He also said the current government was criticized over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

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