Research shows that the OAS used incorrect methods and data to conclude there was "fraud" in Bolivia.
A close examination of the Bolivian election data suggests that the analysis by the Organization of American States (OAS), which accused President Evo Morales of electoral fraud and thus helped to foment a coup d'état, was flawed.
247 - When the preliminary vote count began in the Bolivian presidential election on October 20, 2019, a climate of political tension arose, provoked by the right-wing opposition, which would be defeated once again at the polls, according to the vote count data.
Allegations of fraud sparked protests, which intensified with the presence of the Organization of American States (OAS), which was invited to assess the election results.
The OAS statement, pointing to "an inexplicable change" that "drastically alters the fate of the elections," raised suspicions about the vote and triggered a series of events that changed the history of the South American nation, journalists say. Anatoly Kurmanaev and Maria Silvia Trigo in the New York Times.
"The opposition seized upon the demand to intensify protests, gather international support, and, weeks later, removed Morales from power with military backing."
A study by independent researchers, using data obtained by The New York Times from Bolivian electoral authorities, found that the Organization of American States' analysis was flawed.
"Researchers have found that the conclusion that Morales' votes inexplicably increased when the count restarted was based on incorrect data and inadequate statistical techniques," says the New York Times report.
"The fall of Morales paved the way for a far-right interim government, led by Jeanine Áñez Chávez. The new government persecuted the former president's supporters, silencing dissidents and working to consolidate its grip on power. [...] Seven months after Morales' fall, Bolivia does not have an elected government or an official election date."