Bolivia: Government rescinds controversial legal reforms /update 2

Event

On Sunday, January 21, the government announced it was rescinding recent reforms to the penal code that had led to major protests and strikes in recent weeks. The most controversial of the reforms was a measure that would have allowed current President Evo Morales to run for reelection. Demonstrations by government supporters to denounce the decision, as well as celebratory gatherings by anti-government groups, are possible in the coming days, notably on Monday to coincide with Morales’s annual state of the union address.

Context

In November 2017, the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional; TCP) cleared the way for President Morales to run for a fourth consecutive term in elections scheduled for 2019, and thus potentially remain in office until 2025. The ruling annulled the “no” results of a constitutional referendum held in February 2016 in a bid to remove presidential term limits. Morales - who has been in power since 2006 - had claimed the referendum failed due to an illegal smear campaign. The opposition immediately denounced the ruling.

Advice

Individuals present in Bolivia are advised to keep abreast of the situation and avoid any protests.