There has been social unrest in Bolivia for several years. Last year, there were multiple strikes and protests all over the nation. Bolivia is currently divided due to reasons such as race, wealth, and region. This has led to political disputes and protests throughout the nation.

In 2019, major protests followed after the opposition party claimed electoral fraud by the ruling MAS (Movement for Socialism) party and its leader, President Evo Morales. Ballot counting was delayed for a long time before current president Evo Morales was announced victorious. This allegation was followed by weeks of protests from the opposition side that resulted in multiple casualties. After three weeks, President Evo Morales resigned. The ex-president sought asylum in Mexico, and Bolivia had a temporary government until re-elections could take place. However, this time, supporters of the former president refused to accept another election and more protests erupted all over the nation. The new protests were followed by more casualties and Bolivia was divided in support and opposition to the former president.

Currently, things look peaceful on the outside. Bolivia’s ruling party is still MAS, whose new candidate won the re-election, but both sides are still refusing to cooperate unless the other side meets their demands. Evo Morales was the first indigenous president of Bolivia, and he has the support of the majority of the indigenous population in the nation. In regions where the proportion of indigenous people is high, such as the capital La Paz and the northwestern regions of Bolivia, support for the MAS party is high. Meanwhile, in places like Santa Cruz (Bolivia’s largest city) and the southeastern region, the opposition party has higher support, backed by wealthy whites. These disputes have led to some radicals suggesting that the state of Santa Cruz and some others break away from Bolivia, creating their nation.

Bolivia is a nation that is made up of diverse ethnic groups and races. Bolivia’s official name is the Plurinational State of Bolivia, meaning there is more than one national group in the country. It is now up to the Bolivians to cooperate in developing their nation or Bolivia is in for the same fate they were three years ago.
 

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