Morales' Unconventional Campaign for Nulo, a Scathing Rebuke of Bolivian Politics

Strategic Insights -

Former President Evo Morales has embarked on a scrappy campaign for "Nulo," a blank-vote candidate with a loyal base in Bolivia, where voting is compulsory. Morales' move stems from his disqualification from the election and his desire to distance himself from leftists associated with Bolivia's worst economic crisis in four decades. As Morales champions Nulo, he's urging voters to defect, scribble, and sketch on their ballots, turning the elections into a rebuke of the system.

Key Takeaways:

  • Morales' campaign for Nulo is a response to his disqualification from the election and his attempt to maintain relevance in Bolivian politics.
  • Nulo is a blank-vote candidate with a loyal base in Bolivia, where voting is compulsory.
  • Morales' followers can appear even more disillusioned with the left than with the right-wing establishment that Morales built his career opposing.
  • The Nulo campaign is asking voters to get creative, with some using decals, paint, or sketching on their ballots to express their frustration.
  • Morales' bid for Nulo aims to embarrass the right-wing front-runners, former President Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, and Charles Doria Medina, and undermine the credibility of the consequential election.

Statistics:

  • 8 people died in police unrest in June over Morales' disqualification.
  • 20 years of pro-Washington, free-market policies failed to lift Bolivians out of poverty.
  • 4 decades of economic crisis in Bolivia have led to struggles with fuel and dollar savings.
  • 30% of Bolivia's population is indigenous, with Morales retaining a level of fervent support from this group.

Sources:

  • AP (no date available)
  • Radio Kawsachun Coca, Morales' media outlet (no date available)
  • Quoted mindset of Wendy Chipana, a 28-year-old volunteer at a Nulo campaign office (no date available)
  • Quoted mindset of Martha Cruz, 67, a retired professor (no date available)
  • Quoted mindset of Diego Aragon, 32, a coca farmer (no date available)
  • Quote from Carlos Saavedra, a political analyst (no date available)
  • Quote from Diana Mamani, 30, selling shivering lambs (no date available)