International
Evo Morales assures that he is “the first electoral option” in Bolivia despite disqualification
The former president of Bolivia Evo Morales, between 2006 and 2019, said this Saturday that he is still “the first option” with a view to the general elections of 2025, despite the fact that he is not qualified to run again.
Morales thus reacted to a vote intention survey commissioned and disseminated by businessman Marcelo Claure that shows the former leader of the governmental Movement to Socialism (MAS) tied in first place with the opposition Manfred Reyes Villa, current mayor of the central city of Cochabamba.
“This is the reason why they try to steal the acronym, chase us with about twenty trials, try to disqualify us and try to kill us. We are first in all polls,” Morales said in X.
Evo Morales: “we are the first choice of the people”
“Despite the fact that they always minimize our support in the popular sectors and in the countryside, we are the first choice of the people to save Bolivia,” added the politician, who is distant from the Government of Luis Arce.
He also assured that he will continue to “fight to prevent” Bolivia from “continuing and falling into the hands of those who want to destroy it.”
The survey released by Claure was conducted by the company Panterra from November 2 to 15, with face-to-face interviews with people over 18 years of age in Bolivia and a margin of error of 2.2%.
Among other results, the consultation shows that Morales and Reyes Villa are tied with 18%, followed by the opposition businessman Samuel Doria Medina with 13%, and there are also 21% of respondents who do not know who they are going to vote for.
“Trusted information”
Claure indicated in X that she commissioned the survey to “provide Bolivians with reliable information to understand the political environment and make informed decisions” and justified Morales’ inclusion that “in Bolivia everything can change and nothing is certain.”
The Constitution and the law of Bolivia establish that to win in the first round you must obtain 50% plus one of the votes, or at least 40% with an advantage of ten percentage points over the second most voted.
The Magna Carta also allows only two presidential periods, but Morales was able to run for the 2014 elections in search of a third term and in 2019 in pursuit of the fourth with the endorsement of the Plurinational Constitutional Court (TCP).
Morales and his lawyers insist that he is qualified to run again in 2025, but the Government assures that it is not basing it on an advisory opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (CorteIDH) on indefinite re-election, a ruling of the Bolivian TCP issued in 2023 and the Constitution itself.
Sentence against Evo Morales
Two TCP magistrates recently issued a sentence indicating that the elected authorities in the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches can only exercise for two periods, continuous or discontinuous, which affects Morales’ intentions to be a candidate again.
The same magistrates also endorsed a congress held by the MAS faction related to the Arce Government that elected the peasant leader Grover García as the new president of the party, stripping Morales of the official leadership after almost three decades.
Morales considers the resolutions of the TCP null and void because the current magistrates extended his mandate and that of the judges of other high courts of Bolivia, which was supposed to end at the beginning of 2024, in the absence of the judicial elections that could not be held in 2023.
Arce and Morales have been distanced since the end of 2021 due to differences in the state administration, the need to renew the direction of the MAS and the definition of the candidacy of the ruling party for 2025.
Central America
El Niño could intensify global climate risks, warns World Meteorological Organization
Latin American countries, one of the regions in the world most affected by El Niño, must “take extreme precautions” and make use of so-called “climate intelligence” to mitigate the most severe impacts of the phenomenon, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Celeste Saulo, told EFE on Tuesday.
With a 90% probability, El Niño is expected to return in the second half of this year, and a strong intensity cannot be ruled out.
As a result, the phenomenon could trigger intense rainfall and flooding in some areas, while causing droughts in others, leading to direct impacts on communities and a wide range of economic sectors, including fishing and agriculture.
Saulo said countries in the region have improved their scientific and institutional capacity to monitor and respond to El Niño, as well as to understand how it interacts with other climate variables, including those linked to climate change, in order to better forecast “more or less severe impacts.”
When describing likely consequences in South and Central America, the Argentine scientist first referred to the “Coastal El Niño,” as the phenomenon is known in Peru and Ecuador.
She explained that this event brings increased rainfall and ocean warming, which strongly affects the fishing industry.
She added that northern South America, Central America, and northeastern Brazil are typically exposed to below-normal rainfall or drought conditions. In past extreme episodes, El Niño has even affected the operational capacity of the Panama Canal and created serious water access and management challenges during severe droughts.
In contrast, southeastern South America—including southern Brazil, Paraguay, northern and northeastern Argentina, and Uruguay—can expect above-average rainfall, increasing the risk of flooding, severe storms, and landslides.
Given the potential for fear and misinformation among populations, Saulo urged people to “trust the institutions responsible for meteorological information,” stressing that national meteorological services are the official and authoritative sources in each country.
“These are the ultimate responsible authorities and the voices of expertise,” she emphasized.
The most recent El Niño episode occurred between 2023 and 2024 and was among the five strongest ever recorded, contributing to record global temperatures.
The WMO chief noted that climate models remain uncertain about the intensity of the next El Niño, though more accurate forecasts are expected in the coming weeks.
While climate change has not been proven to increase the frequency or intensity of El Niño events, scientists do know that both can interact and amplify extreme weather impacts, potentially leading to natural disasters.
Although Latin America is often heavily affected, El Niño impacts can also be felt in North America, the Caribbean, central and eastern Africa, parts of Asia, and Australia.
Central America
Argentina Falls to Lowest Rating in Global Workers’ Rights Index Under Milei Administration
Argentina and Panama have joined Ecuador among the world’s 10 worst countries for workers’ rights, according to a report released Monday by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The three Latin American nations appear alongside Belarus, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tunisia and Turkey in the latest edition of the Global Rights Index, which evaluates the protection of labor rights around the world.
According to the ITUC, Argentina entered the list this year after being downgraded to Category 5, marking its second consecutive year of declining ratings.
“Argentina joins the list of the 10 worst countries for workers this year after falling to Category 5, following a second consecutive year of deterioration in its rating,” the organization stated.
The report argues that working conditions and the environment for trade unions have become increasingly restrictive under the administration of President Javier Milei.
“Conditions for workers and trade unions have become increasingly repressive and hostile under the far-right government of President Javier Milei,” the study said.
The ITUC also highlighted Argentina’s implementation of an anti-blockade protocol aimed at maintaining public order during road blockades. According to the report, the measure authorizes what it describes as the indiscriminate use of police force.
The organization noted that Argentina’s rating has worsened for a second consecutive year, placing the country in Category 5, the lowest level assigned in the index and the worst rating Argentina has ever received.
“This represents an abrupt and unprecedented decline from Category 3 to Category 5 in just two years,” the report stated.
Category 5 includes countries where workers’ rights are considered “not guaranteed.” According to the ITUC, the downgrade reflects a shift from recurring labor rights violations to a situation in which workers are no longer assured basic protections.
The annual index assesses issues such as freedom of association, collective bargaining rights, the right to strike and legal protections for workers and trade unions.
The report’s findings place renewed international attention on labor conditions in several countries, particularly in Latin America, where Argentina, Panama and Ecuador now rank among the most challenging environments for workers’ rights.
International
OAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) has pledged to follow up on allegations regarding the alleged involvement of Colombian President Gustavo Petro in political campaigning ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.
The announcement was made by presidential candidate Claudia López after a meeting with the head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández.
According to a statement released by López’s campaign, the OAS mission listened to the concerns raised by the candidate and committed to monitoring the complaints she has submitted to both national and international organizations.
The mission also reiterated its commitment to overseeing the electoral process to help ensure that the will of Colombian voters is respected throughout the election.
“We have turned to international forums and technical observation missions to warn that Colombian democracy cannot be left at the mercy of fear or undue pressure,” López, the former mayor of Bogotá, said following the meeting.
López has repeatedly expressed concerns about what she describes as political interference in the electoral process and has called on national and international institutions to closely monitor the conduct of the campaign.
The OAS observation mission is one of several international bodies deployed to Colombia to monitor the presidential election, which is taking place amid heightened political tensions and intense competition among candidates from across the ideological spectrum.
The election is expected to be closely watched both domestically and internationally as Colombians choose whether to continue with the country’s first left-wing administration or shift toward a new political direction.
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