The dying unity bloc proclaimed Samuel Doria Medina as its candidate.

The false unity bloc proclaimed Samuel Doria Medina as its presidential candidate this Wednesday. The event took place in the city of La Paz, with figures like Vicente Cuéllar, Amparo Ballivián, and Carlos Alarcón in attendance. The absence of Tuto Quiroga marked the event from the start.

Carlos Mesa, one of the founders of the bloc, announced his definitive departure hours earlier. Through a statement, he said that they reached a deadlock and he understood that it no longer made sense to stay in the bloc. He assured that he had done everything possible to reach an agreement but accused a lack of collective will to compromise.

The bloc was created on December 18 with six leaders: Mesa, Quiroga, Doria Medina, and Camacho were the main faces. Ballivián and Cuéllar later joined, the faction's idea was to face MAS united. Today, that alliance seems like a broken promise.

During the proclamation event, Doria Medina avoided talking about Quiroga. In recent days, both have been involved in a series of statements. The dispute revolved around a survey, Tuto Quiroga questioned its validity and stated that he wouldn't accept the results. He accused Doria of imposing conditions unilaterally.

Efraín Suárez, spokesperson for Creemos, defended the process and assured that they acted with commitment. He said that the bloc remains a real alternative, but acknowledged that not all members agreed. And that there were limits to the willingness to reach a consensus to consolidate the project.

Luis Fernando Camacho, from Chonchocoro prison, supported the bloc's continuity. He sent a letter reaffirming his support for unity and asked his followers to maintain trust. He recalled the 21 days of 2019 as an example of resistance and called for standing firm against the MAS regime.

However, other political actors have a different view. Former pre-candidate Branko Marinkovic said that the bloc no longer exists. He questioned Doria Medina's attitude and stated that the proclamation was an imposition. He also warned about the fragility of the process before the TSE due to questions about its legality.

Did the false opposition reveal their true intentions?

From Comunidad Ciudadana there were also criticisms, legislators like Jorge Komadina pointed to the leaders' egos. They accused the fragmentation of the bloc of personal interests and said that no one wanted to give in. They concluded that this way there is no way to build unity.

Rodrigo Valdivia, from Súmate, shared that view and said that from the beginning it was evident that no one would step down. He pointed out that unity can't be born from intransigence and that now the result will be a dispersed vote. Something that directly favors MAS.

In the bloc, there are still figures trying to sustain it. Amparo Ballivián declared that there are at least twenty committed fronts. Doria Medina also highlighted that they still have citizen support. But the real political weight of those supports is in doubt, many are actors with limited presence.

From the officialdom and Evoist sectors, the breakup was celebrated. Politicians like Nelson Virreira said that the right will never unite. They questioned the lack of proposals and organization, saying that they are only driven by the interest of power. And that they don't represent a true national project.

Tuto Quiroga didn't speak after the proclamation, but his silence was more eloquent than any word. His distancing shows that he doesn't endorse the new candidate and still keeps personal aspirations to continue with his candidacy. Some representatives of his alliance indicated that he will run separately.

The future of the bloc seems uncertain, although some insist that it is still alive, the fractures are deep and quite evident. As the electoral calendar advances, the false opposition succumbed to this war of egos.

Doria Medina said he is ready for the contest and assures that he can defeat the officialdom. But he does so with a weakened bloc, without Mesa, Tuto, and with Camacho behind bars, the proclamation comes more as an end than a beginning.

The fall of the false unity bloc was caused by the weight of the selfish interests of its own members. Each aspirant preferred to secure a place on the ballot rather than give in for the common good. The obsession with personal protagonism ended up dynamiting any real possibility of an alliance.