Spanish
La Paz, 25 may (EFE).- Los dirigentes y legisladores leales al expresidente boliviano Evo Morales dieron este domingo 24 horas al presidente del Senado, Andrónico Rodríguez, para que se presente en la sede cocalera del Trópico de Cochabamba y brinde explicaciones sobre su distanciamiento de ese bloque político.
"To summon Mr. Andrónico Rodríguez: he has 24 hours to appear (...) and clarify the childishness and nonsense he has said in an improvised video. Andrónico is not the one to judge or to attack our commander," declared coca grower leader Maicol Rojas to local media.
Rodríguez, considered until recently the political "heir" of Morales (2006–2019), released a video in which he asked to "stop the attacks" and direct the unity of that popular bloc "towards a single objective".
He also stated that he will resign from the Senate and from "any aspiration" to be president of Bolivia if, within 24 hours, it is proven "objectively, with videos, recordings, audios, and reliable documents" that he has been affiliated with the United States, the right wing, or the government of Luis Arce.
Otherwise, he asked Morales and the social sectors that support him to join his candidacy to achieve "a single objective".
Regarding this, deputy Héctor Arce, aligned with Morales, described Rodríguez's message as "an act of cowardice in its maximum expression" and asserted that the senator's distancing from the former president "has been a silently planned betrayal for about three or four years."
Throughout the day, the coca-growing radio station Kawsachun Coca, managed by sectors loyal to Morales, published on its social media photographs and recordings with specific moments that allegedly contradict Rodríguez's recent statements, and with messages in which he is asked to resign from the Senate and his candidacy.
Rodríguez, 36 years old and from the Cochabamba Tropics, Morales' main political and union stronghold, distanced himself from the former president to run as a presidential candidate on his own with Alianza Popular, although his registration is still pending until the legal actions filed against said political group are resolved.
The tension between Morales and Rodríguez increased when the former president and his followers insinuated that the senator is an "instrument of the empire", in reference to the United States, and accused him of being a "traitor" and of having alleged links with the right and the Government.
However, a few days ago Morales asked Rodríguez to "return to his political home."
Evo Morales, who resigned from the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) to found the Evo Pueblo bloc, unsuccessfully attempted to present his presidential candidacy with the Frente para la Victoria (FPV) and then with the Partido de Acción Nacional Boliviano (Pan-Bol).
Both groupings lost their legal status for not reaching 3% of the votes in the 2020 elections, as established by Bolivian regulations, so they cannot participate in the elections.
This Monday, supporters of the former head of state are scheduled to hold a protest in La Paz to demand that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) register his candidacy.
This has been qualified by the Government as an attempt at "destabilization" aimed at preventing the holding of the national elections in August.
Morales, who governed Bolivia in three periods (2006–2009, 2010–2014 and 2015–2019), insists that he can run for office, despite the fact that the Constitutional Court recently clarified that re-election in Bolivia is only possible "once continuously" and a third term is not allowed. EFE
