Arce denounces attempted electoral coup in Bolivia.
President accuses the Supreme Electoral Court of manipulating tactics to postpone the second round of elections and calls for action; naturalized Brazilian politician is cited in a parallel complaint.
247 - Bolivian President Luis Arce denounced this week the existence of two alleged coup attempts against Bolivian democracy, less than two weeks before the second round of the presidential elections, scheduled for October 19. This information was reported by [source name missing]. World Operabased on information from The Razón.
In a statement broadcast nationwide from the Quemado Palace in La Paz, and accompanied by the entire ministerial cabinet, Arce stated that "groups with vested interests" were orchestrating actions to interfere in the electoral process and destabilize the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
"We want to warn and denounce the ongoing coup against democracy by groups that have their own interests in mind," declared the president, calling for "absolute respect for the popular will expressed at the ballot box."
Legislative proposal and retreat after public reaction.
According to Arce, one of the initiatives classified as coup attempts was a bill presented by Senator Pedro Benjamin Vargas, which aimed to disqualify poll workers scheduled for the second round of voting, citing alleged fraud that occurred in the first round, held on August 17th.
The proposal also called for postponing the new vote and, consequently, extending the terms of the current authorities, which, according to the government, would constitute an attempt at institutional rupture.
After strong negative repercussions, the senator withdrew the bill hours after the presidential announcement. Vargas is a member of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) — the same party as Arce — but belongs to a wing closer to former president Evo Morales, who broke with the party in 2024.
Evo Morales denies involvement and condemns the maneuvers.
Evo Morales responded with a public statement, denying any involvement in the attempt to alter the electoral calendar.
"There is not, nor will there be, any type of negotiation that violates the independence of the electoral body or the country's democratic calendar. Under no circumstances will our parliamentary representation endorse the extension of the mandate of any authority," stated the former president, adding that "the sovereignty of the people is respected at the ballot box."
The political tension also reflects internal divisions between the pro-Evo faction (loyal to Evo Morales) and the institutionalist wing linked to Arce, which is trying to keep the MAS party cohesive amidst the dispute with the Bolivian right.
Naturalized Brazilian citizen cited in new complaint.
The government also pointed to a second front of destabilization, this time involving the Brazilian politician naturalized Bolivian, Peter Erlwein Beckhauser, linked to the National Unity Front (FUN) — the party that supported the right-wing candidate Samuel Doria Medina, who came in third in the first round with 19,7% of the vote.
According to the Executive branch, Beckhauser filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office in La Paz requesting the annulment of the first-round results, alleging irregularities in more than 3,6 electoral records. The government classifies the action as "part of a strategy to discredit the democratic process."
President requests intervention from the Electoral Court.
According to a report by RT, Arce has asked the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to convene an emergency meeting with other state powers to ensure the smooth running of elections and prevent an escalation of instability.
"There is a coup being hatched in the Legislature. It is the duty of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) to ensure the normal course of the electoral process and the democratic continuity of the country," he stated.
Second round between right-wing candidates
The second round of the Bolivian presidential elections will be contested between two right-wing candidates: Rodrigo Paz, of the Christian Democratic Party, and Jorge Quiroga, of the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (ALD).
The absence of a candidate from the Movement for Socialism in the final election is unprecedented since 2005, when Evo Morales was first elected, and it amplifies the climate of political uncertainty and party reconfiguration in Bolivia.
