Bolivia: Pro-Morales rallies planned nationwide Feb. 21

Event

The National Coordinator for Change (Conalcam), a civil society organization, is planning to hold nationwide demonstrations in support of President Evo Morales on Wednesday, February 21. Rallies by political opposition groups are also planned for the same day. As of February 13, Conalcam has not released specific details about their planned events. The largest demonstrations will likely take place in La Paz and El Alto, with other events possible in other departmental capitals. Increased security measures and localized traffic disruptions should be anticipated around the events; clashes between rival protests and/or protesters and police cannot be ruled out.

Context

On February 21, 2016, Bolivia held a constitutional referendum to remove presidential term limits, which would have allowed President Morales to run for a fourth consecutive term in the 2019 elections. The referendum failed, but in November 2017 the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional; TCP) removed the term limits as part of a penal code overhaul, provoking major protests and strikes throughout the country. On January 21, 2018, the government announced it was rescinding those (and other) controversial reforms.

Advice

Individuals present in Bolivia are advised to keep abreast of the situation and avoid all protests as a precaution.