Bolivia: Demonstrations to take place on Democracy Day October 10

Event

Activists and civic organizations have called for town halls and marches to take place in urban centers nationwide on Thursday, October 10, Bolivia's Democracy Day, ahead of the October 20 general elections. A town hall in Cochabamba is scheduled for Thursday at 18:00 (local time) in the Plaza de las Banderas following several marches, which are to take place earlier in the day. Similar marches and town halls are also slated to take place in the cities of La Paz and Tarija, although exact times and locations have not been announced.

A heightened security presence and localized transportation disruptions are to be expected around all demonstrations.

Context

Current President Evo Morales of the Movement of Socialism party is one of the nine candidates on the ballot for the presidency. Morales was first elected president in 2005 and is currently serving his third term in office. The constitution outlines that a president can serve two continuous terms if reelected, which was reaffirmed in a 2016 referendum that voted to keep the same presidential term limits. Morales is running for a fourth term in office during the 2019 elections.

The Bolivian presidential campaign period officially began on September 20, and will take place until October 16.

Advice

Individuals in Bolivia are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid any protests and demonstrations as a precaution, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.