Over the weekend, the former dictator Evo Morales acknowledged that he will no longer be able to run as a candidate in the August 17 elections. He confirmed that July 3 was the deadline and he was unable to register with any party.
He called that day the "day of mourning for democracy" and accused President Luis Arce of ordering his exclusion. He said that by noon that Wednesday he was "eliminated as a candidate". He asserted that his disqualification is part of an imperial plan.
According to Morales, in the early morning of that day he received a call confirming that he could be registered. He avoided saying which party he was negotiating with but stated that the party was willing to put him forward as a candidate.
However, he recounted that in the afternoon, everything fell apart due to "pretexts" and pressure from Argentina. He pointed to Arce as directly responsible for sabotaging his registration. "Luis Arce was constantly calling to say Evo could not go," he stated.
Disconnected from reality
The coca growers' leader appeared visibly affected in his statements. He said that the country will lose the candidate with the greatest support. According to him, more than two million people will not vote if he is not on the ballot.
He also claimed that there was a march with three million participants who supported him. He described his disqualification as a violation of the people's political rights.
Morales maintained that this is a strategy directed from abroad. He mentioned the North American "empire" and businessman Marcelo Claure as the figures behind the agreement to prevent his candidacy.
He asserted that from the United States it was decided that the left should not return to power. For this reason, he accuses Arce of acting as an external agent. He also linked other candidates to this alleged pact.
The former dictator stated that the party that rejected him did so to avoid legal problems. According to his account, in the morning everything seemed agreed upon but later he received the refusal.
He blamed the party "leaders" for giving in to pressure. He mentioned that he was a victim of exclusion, persecution, and political proscription. He stated that his leadership can't be eliminated by decree.
He feels abandoned
Despite the setback, Morales said that he continues to receive calls from MAS leaders. He indicated that senators and deputies from the Andrónico Rodríguez bloc are asking him for unity.
However, he disqualified the president of the Senate and called him "candidate of the empire". He insinuated that Rodríguez was imposed to divide the movement's grassroots. He reiterated that there is no political project without him.
