The former Bolivian president, Evo Morales, called for the unity of his supporters during a proclamation event for his presidential candidacy, following the news that the Senate president, Andrónico Rodríguez, who used to be close to Morales, decided to run separately in the upcoming national elections.
At the proclamation event in Cochabamba, several speeches highlighted the importance of unity in the popular movement. Franco García, a leader of Evo Pueblo in Cochabamba, stated that without the presence of Evo Morales, no outsider to the movement could win. Additionally, Nelson Cox, the former head of state's lawyer, urged to separate opportunists and reaffirm the commitment to serve the homeland.
Andrónico Rodríguez announced shortly before his decision to run for the presidency of Bolivia at a mass event in Oruro, marking a distancing that began to take shape months ago and became more evident when he did not attend the launch of the political block Evo Pueblo led by Morales. In mid-April, Morales's supporters proclaimed him as a candidate in Entre Ríos, a town where Rodríguez is a prominent leader.
Rodríguez, a senator from the Tropics of Cochabamba, previously considered a natural successor to Morales, is now distancing himself from the former president, joining the rift that already existed between Morales and the Bolivian president, Luis Arce, due to differences in government decisions, control of the MAS, and the presidential race. Despite the constitutional ruling that limits reelection to a single term in Bolivia, Morales seeks to run again.
After leaving the leadership of the MAS in 2024, Morales is preparing to run with another party in the upcoming elections, marking a new chapter in Bolivian politics. He and his supporters plan to march to La Paz on May 16 to register his candidacy, although it has not yet been revealed with which party they will do so.
