How Bolivia Overcame a Crisis and Held a Clean Election

Earlier this week, Bolivia held its presidential election. As the vote neared, many voiced concerns about how the election would be run and how people would respond to the result. Candidates worried over the possibility of fraud in the vote and citizens were anxious that there may be violence in response. Yet, the election ran very smoothly. Luis Arce, ally of former leftist president Evo Morales, won a landslide victory that was widely accepted. Concern came after Morales ran for a controversial fourth term last year and was promptly ousted following accusations of vote rigging. Yet the Organization of American States, which heavily criticized the 2019 election, reported on this race as fair and without fraud. The smooth response may also have to do with who won. Arce had argued, and his supporters agreed, that the result could not be trusted if he did not emerge the winner.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/world/americas/boliva-election-result.html

Anthony Grammich