User:Krisgabwoosh/Pitita Revolution

Pitita Revolution
Part of the Blue Tide
Date	21 October – 10 November 2019 (2019-10-21 – 2019-11-10) (3 weeks; 21 days)
Caused by	Abolishment of presidential term limits despite its rejection via popular referendum Alleged electoral fraud in the 2019 general election
Goals	Presidential runoff election; later fully rerun general elections Resignation of President Evo Morales
Methods	Mass mobilizations, demonstrations, and rioting General strikes and other strike actions Blockades, roadblocks, and sieges
Resulted in	Opposition victory Resignation of President Evo Morales and his government; Morales seeks political asylum in Mexico and Argentina Assumption to the presidency of Jeanine Áñez helming a transitional government Annulment of the 2019 general election results Convocation of snap general elections for 3 May 2020; later postponed to 18 October due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Parties
Pitita protesters Civic Community Social Democratic Movement Christian Democratic Party National Unity Front Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee Potosinista Civic Committee Civic Committees of the South National Committee for the Defense of Democracy Federation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto Anti-government protesters Government of Bolivia Movement for Socialism National Coordinator for Change Bolivian Workers' Center Bartolina Sisa Confederation Pact of Unity Unified Syndical Confederation of Rural Workers of Bolivia Federation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto Red Ponchos
Lead figures
Jeanine Áñez Carlos Mesa Luis Fernando Camacho Marco Pumari Evo Morales Álvaro García Linera Adriana Salvatierra Víctor Borda
Casualties
Death(s)	3
Injuries	421

The Pitita Revolution (Spanish: Revolución de las pititas) was a twenty-one-day period of mass mobilizations and civil unrest in Bolivia that occurred between 21 October and 10 November 2019 in response to allegations of electoral fraud in that year's presidential elections. It culminated in the resignation of longtime president Evo Morales, instigating a constitutional crisis that resulted in the subsequent installation of a transitional government headed by Jeanine Áñez. The new government oversaw snap general elections that resulted in the return to power of Morales' party, the Movement for Socialism, just under a year later. The crisis highlighted deep divisions in Bolivian society, with opponents and supporters of Morales and his government regarding his fall from power as either a popular uprising or a coup d'état.

The crisis was preceded by irregularities in that year's presidential election, after the transmission of preliminary results was unexpectedly paused at 83.8 percent; the data indicated a historic second round between Morales and rival Carlos Mesa. After being paralyzed for more than twenty hours, the preliminary count resumed, with the new results indicating that Morales had exceeded the threshold to avoid a runoff despite only attaining a popular vote plurality. The sudden change in trend resulted in accusations of electoral fraud by Mesa, with observers from the Organization of American States also expressing concern. Ensuing protests led to mass mobilizations and the declaration of an indefinite general strike nationwide. As the crisis progressed, initial demands for a runoff vote lost traction, with civic leaders discarding the idea in favor of new elections and the president's resignation.

Protest measures largely revolved around mass mobilizations and the imposition of strike actions, with roadblocks being a prominent feature of opposition demonstrations. Though broadly peaceful, numerous incidents of violence—including arson, vandalism, and rioting—were also recorded. Instances of armed confrontations between rival parties also occurred, particularly involving the use of blunt objects by opposition protesters, the dispersion of tear gas by police, and the utilization of dynamite by pro-government groups—particularly mining cooperatives. Such actions led some academics to describe the unrest as a low-intensity civil war.

Morales denied fraud allegations, with his government inviting international observers to audit the electoral process. A preliminary report by the Organization of American States was published on 10 November, alleging serious irregularities and recommending fresh elections overseen by new electoral authorities. Following the publication of the initial report, Morales pledged to hold a new electoral process in accordance with the organization's findings. However, amid increasingly debilitating civil unrest, the president lost the support of the country's largest trade unions and his own appointed military high command, both of whom suggested he resign to prevent further violence. Morales' televised abdication, together with his vice president, instigated a series of mass resignations from ruling party officials, including the presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, exhausting the constitutional line of succession.

At meetings sponsored by the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, opposition and government figures agreed to facilitate the succession of Second Vice President of the Senate Jeanine Áñez to the presidency. However, the Movement for Socialism later pulled its support for Áñez, boycotting the session in which she declared herself, first, president of the Senate and consequently president of the State. From asylum in Mexico, Morales called on supporters to reject Áñez's presidency, accusing the opposition of having orchestrated a coup d'état against him. Subsequent demonstrations led to blockades on inter-departmental highways, resulting in food and fuel shortages. The transitional government's heavy-handed response to armed protests resulted in massacres in Sacaba and Senkata, leading human rights groups to express concern over the use of force.

Background

2016 constitutional referendum

Main article: 2016 Bolivian constitutional referendum

Article 168 of the Constitution of Bolivia establishes that the president and vice president of the republic, once elected to a five-year term, are eligible to be re-elected once, thus limiting the number of terms to two. By late 2015, incumbent president Evo Morales was in the midst of serving his final term; the second since the promulgation of the 2009 Constitution and third since being first elected in 2005. Given this, the governing Movement for Socialism (MAS-IPSP) sponsored an effort to amend the Constitution, allowing the president to seek re-election once again. A referendum on the topic was authorized by a joint session of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly on 26 September, by a vote of 112 to forty-three. On 5 November, the legislature promulgated Law N° 757, formally convening the referendum for 21 February 2016.

Results of the 2016 constitutional referendum rejecting an amendment allowing the president to be re-elected to a fourth term.

The referendum marked a rise in anti-Morales sentiment in Bolivia, with many voters being uneasy about allowing the president to potentially extend his term to 2025. The proposed amendment was defeated by a narrow 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent margin, barring Morales from seeking a fourth term in office. Upon the completion of the ballot count, Morales conceded defeat, pledging to respect the referendum results. Despite this, in September 2017, the MAS appealed to the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (TCP), requesting that it abrogate constitutional restrictions on indefinite re-election, arguing that they violated the human rights of officeholders. On 28 November, the TCP ruled in favor of the MAS, overruling the Constitution by deferring to the American Convention on Human Rights, which promotes the right to participate in government. The court's decision allowed Morales—and all officeholders—to seek re-election in 2019 and in all elections thereafter.

2019 general election

Main article: 2019 Bolivian general election

On 4 December 2018, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) authorized Morales to be re-nominated as his party's presidential candidate. With the green light from the TSE, Morales formally launched his bid for a fourth term on 18 May 2019. His primary electoral opponent was Carlos Mesa, the popular former president and spokesman for Bolivia's maritime lawsuit against Chile. Mesa profiled himself as the only candidate capable of uniting the opposition against Morales, with opinion polls indicating that he was poised to beat the president should the election move to a one-on-one second round. On 20 October, the first round of voting for all national government positions took place. By 7:40 p.m. local time (UTC–4), the Plurinational Electoral Organ (OEP)'s Transmission of Preliminary Electoral Results (TREP) indicated that with 83.8 percent of the votes tallied, Morales led with 45.3 percent of the vote to Mesa's 38.2 percent. The partial results suggested that the two leading candidates would move to a runoff vote in December. However, the TREP failed to update after that point, with the TSE explaining that the tally had been halted to allow regional tribunals to publish the official results. Later that evening, with the count still paralyzed, Morales proclaimed victory, assuring that the rural vote would guarantee a first round win. After more than twenty hours without live results, the TSE updated its quick count data. With ninety-five percent of the votes tallied, Morales had obtained a plurality of 46.86 percent to Mesa's 36.72. Such an outcome gave the president an over ten-point lead by a margin of just 0.1 percent, sufficient to circumvent a runoff. The Organization of American States (OAS) expressed its concern over this "inexplicable change in trend", stating that it "drastically modifies the fate of the election and generates a loss of confidence in the electoral process".

Protests

21 October: Crisis as Mesa calls foul

A man on the streets of La Paz holds up what he describes as a fraudulently marked ballot sheet.

Mesa denounced the sudden shift in trend as "distorted and rigged", alleging "a gigantic fraud underway". He accused Morales of ordering the pause in the transmission of results, arguing that the rural vote could not account for the sudden shift in trend as a significant part of it had already been counted while thirty percent of the urban vote was still outstanding. Therefore, Mesa called on all Bolivians to take to the streets in a "permanent mobilization in defense of the vote" until a second round could occur. At the same time, the former president implored supporters to exercise non-violence. Mesa's declarations were echoed by the National Committee for the Defense of Democracy (CONADE), which called on supporters to exercise civil disobedience and install vigils outside the TSE and their respective Departmental Electoral Tribunals (TED) to combat perceived electoral fraud.

Post-election demonstrations in the southern zone of La Paz.

Within hours, the capital city of La Paz became the epicenter of protests, with supporters of Mesa and his Civic Community (CC) coalition initiating vigils outside the Plaza Real Hotel, where the TSE had established its headquarters. By the afternoon of 21 October, tensions began to flare after a group of MAS supporters arrived on the scene. Over the course of four hours, opposing protesters launched threats of confrontation and—later—began hurling sticks and bottles at one another. Despite the clashes outside, the TSE continued to carry out the official count, even as some protesters attempted to enter the building. They were met by police forces, who threw tear gas into the crowd on at least three occasions. During this time, the first injuries were recorded, including Waldo Albarracín, rector of the Higher University of San Andrés (UMSA) and member of the CONADE, who sustained a blow to the head by an unidentified individual. Elsewhere in La Paz, citizens of the Miraflores neighborhood seized some twenty-eight ballot boxes found inside a house on Panamá Street, stating that the sheets inside were all marked in favor of the MAS. Similarly, on Landaeta Street, protesters stopped a minibus transporting more briefcases filled with ballots. Security personnel quickly moved in to guard the electoral material against demonstrators, who demanded that they be burned. The TED-La Paz assured that there was "no irregularity", claiming that the briefcases on Landaeta Street contained only recycled material and that those on Panamá Street had been illegally seized before they could be transported to the tribunal's offices. Faced with continued unrest, the TED declared itself in a "state of alert" and suspended vote-counting activities due to the lack of security guarantees for its staff.

Further protests were recorded in all nine departments, with demonstrators initiating vigils outside their respective TED offices. At 6:30 p.m. in the constitutional capital of Sucre, protesters convened outside the offices of the TED-Chuquisaca. About an hour later, demonstrators tore down barriers on either end of the block and began protesting outside the tribunal's doors, leading the TED to suspend its calculations. Despite calls for calm, protesters broke through the front doors, lighting fires at the entrance of the institution, for which they were gassed by police. Officials of the electoral entity evacuated the building as it filled with smoke and gas. As firefighters attended to the TED's headquarters, a separate fire was started at the MAS campaign office; adjoining houses were also affected. Elsewhere, unidentified protesters vandalized the offices of the Single Federation of Workers of the Original Peoples of Chuquisaca (FUTPOCH).

Protesters wave the Bolivian tricolor.

In Potosí, the Potosinista Civic Committee (COMCIPO) called for large demonstrations after fifty briefcases containing minutes were found stored in a private address adjacent to TED headquarters. COMCIPO President Marco Pumari announced that the civic committee would report the discrepancy to the Prosecutor's Office; the TED-Potosí assured that the building had been rented out precisely to store the electoral material. At noon, officials from the TED and COMCIPO held a meeting seeking to alleviate the conflict. The TED agreed to recount the observed minutes and deliver photocopies to the COMCIPO. However, it refused to suspend the vote count, causing negotiations to break down. With that, some 2,000 protesters marching from Plaza Bolívar converged around TED offices. Their attempt to reach the building was stopped two blocks away by around 200 police officers. Unable to transport envelopes through the protesters, the TED announced the suspension of the vote count at 75.75 percent. At 9:30 p.m., the marchers attempted to break through police lines but were repelled by security personnel—bolstered by reinforcements from Sucre—who shot tear gas into the crowd. Late into the evening, the Potosinos finally overwhelmed police forces, storming and setting fire to offices of the TED and the Civil Registry Service (SERECÍ). Two individuals were observed jumping from the building's second-floor to escape the flames.

The third instance of significant violence occurred in Cobija, Pando, where the TED's facilities were overrun and partially burned. Protesters also accosted local officials in the city, with around 150 people forcing Cobija Mayor Luis Gatty Ribeiro to flee his house, escorted by security personnel. Governor Luis Adolfo Flores was also forced out of his home, taking refuge in a neighbor's house. The governor—who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure—was later transported to a local hospital to undergo medical care. More minor clashes were also reported in Cochabamba, where demonstrators attempted to occupy the city's fairground, leading to the suspension of the vote count there; in Oruro, police dispersed protesters trying to enter the TED's offices.

22–23 October: Civics declare indefinite strikes

By the second day of protests, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal found itself in what Página Siete described as "its most critical situation", facing deep mistrust from the population and the increasing skepticism of the international community. According to analyst Carlos Cordero, the non-compliance with the 2016 referendum and the TSE's decision to authorize Morales' re-nomination left citizens predisposed to view the electoral body as "submissive, subordinated to the interests of the executive power". For Roxana Ybarnegaray, former director of SERECÍ-Santa Cruz, the TSE's choice to pause the TREP was a "fatal mistake" as it made the tribunal unable to guarantee transparency in the electoral process. Abroad, the European Union (EU) expressed its view that the interruption in vote counting had generated "serious doubts that must be fully clarified [by the TSE] immediately". Key regional partners, including Argentina and Brazil, as well as the United States, also implored the electoral body to restore transparency over the process. That evening, the crisis in the TSE was deepened with the irrevocable resignation of Antonio Costas, the tribunal's vice president. Costas had been described as the last truly independent member of the institution, having previously abstained from the body's decision to authorize Morales' bid for a second term. He stated that his resignation was due to his colleagues "foolish" and "hasty" decision to suspend the TREP after an unscheduled server change caused a brief pause in the count. Though it later resumed with no irregularities, the other TSE members opted not the continue transmitting results until the following day, thus—in Costas' view—"discrediting ... the entire electoral process, causing an unnecessary social upheaval". Nonetheless, he denied fraud allegations, assuring that the final results of the election were genuine and had not been modified.

Singer Carolina Bessolo performs the protest song "La Resistencia" in Santa Cruz.

Protesters surround the Cristo Redentor monument in Santa Cruz.

At around 4:30 p.m., crowds of protesters gathered in the Plaza Camacho before traveling towards TSE headquarters at the Plaza Real Hotel, where they merged with another group marching from Obrajes. They were blocked from entering the building by a military contingent, save for a group of leaders from the CONADE and representatives of the UMSA, who were granted entry to meet with OAS officials. Outside the gates, before a crowd of hundreds of supporters, Mesa declared that he would not recognize the election results, proclaiming "democracy yes, dictatorship no". At the same time, he reiterated his request for protesters to exercise non-violence.

Across the country, heavy clashes, protests, and rioting continued to occur in all departments. At the Higher University of San Simón (UMSS) in Cochabamba, students protesting electoral fraud held demonstrations in Plaza Sucre. Opposing universitarians quickly came to blows, with one group of undergraduates breaking into a pro-MAS dormitory, taking and burning electoral propaganda. The unrest forced police to intervene, leading the protesting students to take refuge in the faculties of law and humanities, from where they threw stones and other objects at law enforcement. After at least five confrontations between both sides, in which police used tear gas, law enforcement eventually withdrew in the face of a larger protest of citizens who entered Plaza Sucre. After that, some students dispersed while yet more set forth on a massive march towards the MAS campaign house on Busch Square. The building—also the headquarters of the Six Federations of the Tropics—was heavily vandalized, with protesters removing and burning several pieces of furniture. Student activism was also observed in other departments, including Tarija, where they were gassed while trying to surround TED headquarters, and Sucre, where some 8,000 universitarians and civilians participated in mass mobilizations. There, demonstrators attempted to break through police guarding the charred TED building. At protests in Oruro, demonstrators set off dynamite, leading police to launch tear gas; at least six students from the Oruro Technical University (UTO) were arrested after being observed throwing stones and looting public property.

In the eastern capital of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Luis Fernando Camacho, president of the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee, announced an indefinite general strike in defense of democracy. "What good is it that we are alive if we are not going to be free", Camacho stated at a protest outside Fexpocruz, where departmental results were being calculated. At 10:00 a.m., representatives from civic groups across the country convened in Santa Cruz to coordinate the measure. Those in attendance included Santa Cruz Senator Oscar Ortiz, presidential candidate for the Bolivia Says No (BDN) coalition; Chi Hyun Chung, candidate for the Christian Democratic Party (PDC); Gustavo Pedraza, Mesa's running mate; and Marco Pumari, representing COMCIPO; among other civic leaders. At the meeting's conclusion, Camacho announced that strike actions would commence at midnight: "... nobody moves anything. Santa Cruz stops until democracy is renewed". Considering the possible ramifications of the impending strike, the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee determined that ambulances, firefighters, police, press, and other emergency services would be allowed safe passaged through city streets. Likewise, the civics also announced that markets and supermarkets would be allowed to open between 6:00 a.m. and noon in order to guarantee the supply of food. Nonetheless, hours before the strike was set to commence, businesses and markets were overrun with customers seeking to stock up on supplies. Fears of fuel shortages also lead to long lines of vehicles at gas stations, though such worries were ultimately unfounded. El Deber recorded two opposing mobilizations in the city on 22 October. The first, composed of opposition protesters, gathered around the Cristo Redentor monument, blocking roads and expressing their rejection of the results. On the other hand, in the south of the city, pro-MAS demonstrators occupied the Plan Tres Mil neighborhood, proclaiming, "Evo wants peace, Mesa wants death!". At 10:00 p.m., the civic committee called an early start to the strike, with Camacho proclaiming that "every minute counts for the recovery of democracy".

External videos
In Santa Cruz, protesters torched the offices of the Departmental Electoral Tribunal.
Nuevamente quemaron las oficinas del Tribunal Electoral — UNITEL

Minutes after midnight, the adjoining offices of the SERECÍ and TED-Santa Cruz were torched by a large mob. The buildings burned throughout the night, with firefighters and volunteers not fully containing the flames until 7:30 a.m. According to El Deber, the facilities were "practically left in ashes"; police detained thirty-one people for the violent acts, fourteen of which were sent to the Prosecutor's Office, while the remaining seventeen—all minors—were released. As the morning of 23 October progressed, most businesses remained closed in compliance with the indefinite strike called by the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee, leaving the city's streets and avenues devoid of people and vehicles. The exception was in the area in and around Plan Tres Mil, where for five hours, proponents of the strike clashed with opponents and MAS supporters. Three people were left wounded in the fighting: an older adult, a teenager, and a two-year-old infant. Outside Santa Cruz, in the cities of Montero and Warnes, strikers occluded city entrances and blockaded several districts. In Roboré, the local civic committee came out in support of the strike, with residents having installed blockades on routes and railways since the previous day.

By the end of 23 October, general strikes had spread to all departments, paralyzing the country. From the capital of La Paz, in a press conference held the day prior, the CONADE declared a national strike starting from midnight until a second round was held or the election results annulled. Speaking to a crowd of thousands gathered at the Plaza 25 de Mayo in the second capital of Sucre, Rodrigo Echalar, president of the Civic Committee for the Defense of the Interests of Chuquisaca (CODEINCA), proclaimed that his group would ensure that all active organizations in Chuquisaca participate in the strike. In this way, Echalar pledged that the mobilizations in that department would have the "ultimate consequences" so long as Morales remained in power. By that point, civics in Oruro had already been on strike since noon the day prior, abiding by the proclamation made by Hugo Gutiérrez and the board of the Ad Hoc Civic Committee of Oruro. From Potosí, COMCIPO mobilized in defense of "democracy and lithium", with Cochabamba also expressing its support, as thousands of protesters held a cabildo in the Plaza de Las Banderas, leading to the declaration of a general strike in that department. Further north, in Trinidad, demonstrators clashed with police outside the TED-Beni; the fighting lasted seven hours, with protesters breaking through windows and making their way into the building. By the end, rioters burned the entire facility to the ground, destroying computer equipment, furniture, and documentation; at least twenty-one people were apprehended.

In the south, the first blockades began the night prior, as protesters in Tarija blocked access through the San Martín and El Portillo bridges. Late into the night, leaders of the Women's Civic Committee and the Youth Civic Committee met with supporters in Luis de Fuentes y Vargas Square, where they issued the call for an indefinite strike against the "fraud" of the TSE. Sporadic violence and fires continued throughout the night. On the morning of the twenty-third, demonstrators again gathered in the square, waving flags and throwing firecrackers, demanding that the government respect the vote. At noon, leaders and students of the Local University Federation (FUL) stormed the facilities of the Tarija Civic Committee, viewing its president, Carlos Dávila, and board of directors as too closely aligned with the MAS. The Departmental Federation of Neighborhood Boards (FEDJUVE) also disregarded Dávila's leadership, calling for his resignation due to the civic committee's "lukewarm" position towards the general strike. Outside of Cercado, protests spread throughout the provinces of Tarija, with demonstrators in Bermejo and Yacuiba closing border crossings into Argentina and Paraguay.

To better coordinate between various mobilizing fronts, Mesa sponsored the establishment of the Coordinator for the Defense of Democracy (CDe) with the primary goal of facilitating a second round in the election. CDe brought together civics, opposition politicians, and party leaders from across the country. Apart from Mesa and Pedraza, CDe's founding charter was signed by Santa Cruz Governor Rubén Costas and Senator Oscar Ortiz representing the Social Democratic Movement (MDS); businessman Samuel Doria Medina for the National Unity Front (UN); La Paz Mayor Luis Revilla for Sovereignty and Liberty (SOL.bo); as well as ex-ombudsmen Waldo Albarracín for the UMSA and Rolando Villena on behalf of CONADE; among others. Both Camacho and Pumari also figured as founding members. In its first announcement, CDe called on "all Bolivians from the nine departments ... to mobilize peacefully until the democratic objective ... is achieved ...".

24–25 October: Victory amid suspicion of fraud

In his first public appearance since declaring victory on election day, and with the final results still unpublished, Morales once again proclaimed himself the winner of the elections. In a speech delivered from his office in La Paz, Morales stated that he was "almost certain" that the rural and indigenous vote would guarantee this victory. The president also denounced the previous days' violent actions, accusing the opposition of mounting a pre-orchestrated and internationally supported coup d'état against him. For this reason, he called on supportive social organizations to rally to "defend democracy". By that point, pro-government groups had already begun mobilizing in defense of the president. The day prior, Juan Carlos Huarachi, executive secretary of the Bolivian Workers' Center (COB), conveyed that the National Coordinator for Change (CONALCAM)—a collective of trade unions and social organizations aligned with the government—had declared itself in a permanent state of emergency. Huarachi called on workers to peacefully mobilize in defense of the democracy and the "victory" of the MAS. In the afternoon, hundreds of indigenous peoples, miners, peasants, government officials, and trade unionists held a rally in the Plaza San Francisco, hoisting Bolivian and MAS flags and chanting refrains in support of Morales.

Morales accused the opposition of orchestrating a coup d'état against him.

Protesters raise a banner spray painted with the label "Evo Dictator!".

In Cochabamba, MAS adherents congregated around the Plaza 24 de Septiembre, evicting opposition protesters, who sustained physical attacks. In a massive rally attended by the president and other authorities, thousands of supporters celebrated the MAS' anticipated electoral victory. Throughout the afternoon and into the night, they held vigils across the city, as well as in Quillacollo and Sacaba. Elsewhere, the Six Federations of the Tropics maintained its own vigil in defense of its headquarters while some 860 police personnel were deployed to guard the TED. At 7:00 p.m., pro and anti-MAS demonstrators clashed near Plaza Busch. Acts of violence between opposing groups were also recorded in Santa Cruz, where MAS demonstrators marching towards the capital attempted to pass through roadblocks in the town of Santa Rita. Protesters hurled rocks, sticks, and firecrackers at one another, ending in at least five injuries.

Outside the country, leaders aligned with Morales came out in support of the president, most notably in Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro denounced a "conspiracy" by the "racist right" against "one of the great moral and ethical leaders of all of America". Maduro appealed to other nations to express their support for Morales against "the coup d'état" being carried out against him. At the request of Venezuela, as well as Brazil, Canada, Colombia, and the United States, the OAS convened an emergency session of its Permanent Council to address the urgent state of affairs in Bolivia. From La Paz on 22 October, Foreign Minister Diego Pary announced that the government had requested an audit of the election by the Organization of American States, including a one-by-one verification of the voting records. Amid rising tensions across the country, Pary expressed his hope that the OAS could conduct the process "as soon as possible". Hours later, OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro accepted the Bolivian government's request, stating that the results of the organization's investigation would be binding for all parties involved in the conflict. On 23 October, the OAS' Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) delivered its report to an extraordinary session of the body's Permanent Council. In it, Manuel González, head of the MOE, recommended that due to the "climate of polarization, the mistrust ... , and the lack of transparency", a second round would be the "best option" regardless of if Morales achieved the necessary ten percent. He justified that it was "statistically reasonable to conclude" that said margin would be "negligible".

In Chuquisaca and Potosí—the two remaining departments with pending results—TED officials determined to move vote-counting work to different venues. In Chuquisaca, the TED had suffered the resignation of one of its members, Olga Mary Martínez, while another, Gunnar Vargas, declared himself in hiding due to threats against his family. Because of this, and given the burning of its facilities in Sucre, the computation was moved to Zudáñez. Likewise, in Potosí, vote counting was reinitiated in Llallagua because of the lack of security in the capital. To defend the counting process, indigenous authorities of the nine ayllus of the Rafael Bustillo Province resolved to hold a vigil outside the SERECÍ in Llallagua. Upon the completion of these tallies, on 24 October, the OEP published the official results of the 2019 general elections. With 99.99 percent of tally sheets computed and just 0.01 percent annulled, Morales had won the election outright in the first round, achieving forty-seven percent of the vote to Mesa's thirty-six percent. Upon hearing of the results, Morales celebrated his "constitutional" victory, accusing the opposition of trying to suppress the indigenous vote. On the other hand, Mesa assured that through the publication of the official results, the government had "consummated the fraud". From Washington, D.C., Secretary-General Almagro stated that the final results "should not be considered legitimate" until the OAS concluded its election audit.

The UMSA campus. At the front, a banner says "Respect for Democracy - 21F".

By the end of the day, and even as Morales' victory was officialized, stoppages were maintained nationwide. In Oruro, the ad hoc civic committee coordinated its protests with the urban teachers' union and the health sector. Some demonstrators laid down on the streets to block the passage of police motorcycles; others called on law enforcement to join the protests. Meanwhile, transport unions in Tarija joined the civic strikes, with police registering eighteen blockades in the capital and the municipalities of Villamontes and Yacuiba. However, the largest demonstrations took place in the two capital cities. In Sucre, the city's most prominent trade, transport, and health unions held strikes, joined by teachers and students from the University of San Francisco Xavier (USFX). Protesters congregated around the Plaza 25 de Mayo, demanding a second round or else the resignation of Morales.

In La Paz, students from the UMSA and the Catholic University took to the streets, joined by a massive march of neighborhood leaders and city officials traveling from El Alto. Two days prior, a pro-opposition sect of the city's Federation of Neighborhood Councils (FEJUVE) had given the government forty-eight hours to call a second round, and given the lack of response, it had therefore resolved to join the strikes called by CONADE. As mobilizations grew, several instances of police brutality were recorded. At the UMSA, police shot tear gas at student demonstrators, who lit bonfires in the atrium to counteract the chemical agents' effects. From CONADE, Rolando Villena decried police actions as a violation of the UMSA's autonomy, a point rejected as "unfounded" by the Ministry of Government, which assured that security personnel never stepped foot inside university premises. Nonetheless, police repressions drew the ire of the United Nations Human Rights Office, with High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet reminding the government that "the use of force against demonstrators should only be applied in exceptional circumstances".

On the morning of 25 October, in a press conference in which no questions were taken, the TSE declared an official end to the 2019 general elections. With 47.08 percent of the vote, Morales had won in the first round, receiving a large enough plurality to circumvent a runoff between himself and Mesa, who took 36.51 percent of the vote, leaving him 0.57 percent away from having achieved a second round. The night prior, on the UMSA's television station, systems engineer Edgar Villegas had conveyed his and his team's findings after conducting a comparative analysis of the TREP and the official count. Villegas reported twelve types of irregularities, including reductions in CC's vote count, instances in which its presidential and parliamentary vote counts were switched to the detriment of the former, minutes signed by MAS delegates as if they were CC delegates, and annulled tally sheets that were later processed as valid. A total of 1,085 minutes held discrepancies, affecting three percent of the presidential vote, while 2,765 irregularities were noted in the parliamentary elections, affecting eight percent of the vote. As noted by Villegas, most of the recorded changes occurred between the final TREP publication on 20 October and its resumption the following day. Regarding Villegas' denunciations, TSE President María Eugenia Choque only stated that the tribunal would analyze the information in detail once a formal complaint was filed.

Thousands of demonstrators confront security forces on the streets of La Paz.

According to sociologist Rodrigo Corzo: "far from appeasing the animus, the electoral results radicalized the pressure measures and increased the social fracture between those who denounced 'electoral fraud' and those who demanded respect for the official results of the TSE". Most notably, in Cochabamba, the Popular Civic Committee organized a cabildo at the Plaza 24 de Septiembre, where more than five thousand demonstrators endorsed a resolution calling for continued mobilizations "until Evo Morales is expelled from power". Strikes and blockades engulfed the city, leaving its main streets and avenues deserted. In some areas, protesters denied passage to ambulances, police, or the press; in the most extreme cases—Rubén Darío and Guillermo Urquidi avenues—no individuals were allowed entry for any reason. As blockades reached the southern zone, clashes occurred between activists and MAS supporters, forcing the latter group to flee the scene. After an emergency session, the Six Federations of the Tropics suspended the vigil in defense of its headquarters in order to avoid confrontations. At the same time, other cocalero unions also determined the withdrawal of their bases.

Simultaneously in Sucre, thousands of demonstrators arrived in the Plaza 25 de Mayo to attend the cabildo called by CODEINCA. At the rally, the Chuquisaca Drivers' Union Federation demanded the TSE's resignation and the annulment of the elections. Likewise, Carlos Salazar, executive of the Departmental Workers' Center (COD), offered the government an ultimatum: "leave, respect democracy, or be removed by force". In that vein, Echalar stated that together with other civic committees, CODEINCA was analyzing holding a "forceful march in the city of La Paz". Demonstrators overwhelmingly supported the measure, chanting, "Let's go to La Paz!". With the events in Sucre and Cochabamba, the option of demanding Morales' resignation was put on the table for the first time, leaving aside the original call for a second electoral round.

Santa Cruz remained the department with the most widespread protests, with blockades being set up in seventeen municipalities. At the same time, from the eastern zone of Montero—a stronghold of ruling party support—MAS demonstrators took to the streets, heeding the call for mobilizations issued by the Montero Mayor's Office. However, the marchers did not adhere to their pre-announced route, instead heading south towards areas where opponents had established roadblocks. After a brief scuffle in which opposing sides lobbed rocks and firecrackers, the Masista contingent withdrew from the area, with some fifty police occupying an intermediate point between the two sides. An hour later, confrontations reignited, forcing police to disperse tear gas, injuring one ruling party demonstrator. Aside from the violent incidents in Montero, Mesa celebrated the third day of strikes in Santa Cruz as a "success", expressing his will that "La Paz ... stop completely" by the beginning of next week. Midnight on Monday, 28 October had been set by the La Paz Mayor's Office and supportive social organizations as the date on which the city would officially join the indefinite strike. However, the fervor of the Paceños led hundreds of residents to anticipate the call, with the first roadblocks already being set up by 6:00 a.m. on 25 October. By the afternoon, traffic on the streets of La Paz had been paralyzed by protesters, who closed off avenues using ropes, garbage containers, and furniture. Road congestion forced the PumaKatari bus service to suspend six of its seven routes while cable cars stopped functioning in different parts of the city. That night in La Paz and Cochabamba, the country experienced what El Diario noted as Bolivia's first cacerolazo, as participants banged saucepans and other cookware in rejection of the "electoral fraud".

26–27 October: MAS mobilizes; civics escalate

With his victory validated by the TSE, Morales called on the international community to respect the "will of the Bolivian people" in the elections. Instead, far from celebrating Morales, Bolivian nationals abroad largely mobilized against the results of the elections, with demonstrations taking place in thirty cities in sixteen nations, including Berlin, London, Madrid, and the capitals of multiple Latin American countries. Following the presentation of official results, only three heads of state came out to formally congratulate the president: Miguel Díaz-Canel of Cuba, Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, and Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico. For its part, at the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres called on opposing groups in Bolivia to "maintain maximum moderation" until the OAS concluded its electoral audit. On the other hand, key regional actors, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and the United States, continued to express their concern over the possible manipulation of the ballot. In response, Morales invited the foreign ministers of all four countries to conduct a "vote by vote" audit of the election; "if there is fraud", he stated, "the next day we call a second round". For Morales, "until that moment, no one had presented evidence of the alleged fraud, and the only thing that was sought was to harm Bolivia".

Protesters raise flags near an overpass in La Paz.

At the same time, the president repeated in his speeches that "the right" wanted to overrule the rural and indigenous vote, discursively dividing the population between the countryside—where MAS support was most prevalent—and the cities. On 26 October, at a rally in Cochabamba, Morales summoned his bases to lay siege on cities conducting strikes, stating that he would "see if they hold out" against blockades on food and supplies. Later that day, the CONALCAM declared itself in a state of emergency, calling for the permanent mobilization of its bases and the besiegement of cities carrying out civic strikes. In Cochabamba, the Departmental Coordinator for Change (CODECAM) warned that, at any moment, it would initiate roadblocks cutting off supply to the cities. Likewise, the Single Federation of Peasant Workers of Santa Cruz (FSUTCS) delivered an ultimatum to the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee demanding a stop to strikes within two days; otherwise, the union would cut off access to the capital and other urban centers. However, the most extreme measures were announced in the rural Hampaturi District of La Paz, where community leaders threatened to shut off water access to the capital, potentially endangering millions.

Civics raising a COMCIPO banner blockade an intersection.

By that point, La Paz had already begun to feel the ill effects of four days of civic strikes, with markets suffering a shortage of products. Nonetheless, large-scale mobilizations were maintained throughout the city, with protesters taking their indignations to the entrances of the TSE and the presidential residence; law enforcement prevented them from advancing further. As demonstrations in the capital intensified, Albarracín called on police to "make common cause" with the protesters, urging them to join the fight against fraud. The UMSA rector's declarations were echoed by Camacho, who from Santa Cruz asked security personnel to come out in support of strike actions. Demonstrations in that department continued unabated, with the notable occurrence of a group of activists who crucified themselves while demanding a second round. Elsewhere, Pando remained the only department in the country to not report any protests on 26 October, with Oruro also remaining undisturbed for the most part, save for a few marches. For their part, civics in Chuquisaca declared a brief intermission to the strikes, allowing the citizenry to stock up on food and essentials.

Such tranquility was not the case in Potosí, where from 2:30 p.m., more than 4,000 people took to the streets in a march convened by the COMCIPO. The demonstrations were scene to a meeting of southern civic committees attended by civic leaders from Chuquisaca, Oruro, Potosí, and Tarija. Following the meeting, Pumari issued the call for Morales' resignation, assuring that henceforth the COMCIPO no longer recognized him as president of the Potosinos. Given this, Echalar announced that the southern civic committees would march towards La Paz, surrounding public institutions in the seat of government to demand the president's resignation.

While not as radical as the measures announced in the south, in La Paz, civics also upped their demands. On 27 October, CONADE expressed its view that a second round was no longer sufficient given the fact that allegations of electoral fraud had also cast doubt on the results of the parliamentary elections. In a press conference, the organization stated that a presidential runoff would "legalize the election of legislators born of electoral crimes and not of the vote of the people". Therefore, CONADE called on the population to reinforce civil disobedience measures until the government annulled the elections and held new ones overseen by impartial authorities. At the same time, the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) and the Christian Democratic Party—with the adhesion of the Third System Movement (MTS)—reiterated previous calls for the annulment of the elections. Slowly, the original demand for a second round had begun to fade as the conflict prolonged.

At a rally in Vila Vila, Morales reiterated his claim that right-wing sectors sought to contravene the rural vote. At the same time, he alleged that opposition leaders were preparing to instigate a coup d'état for the following week. He asked supported to mobilize to "defend our triumph, to defend our Constitution, to defend democracy". Consistent with the president's previous call for sieges, Jacinto Herrera, president of the Unified Syndical Confederation of Rural Workers of Bolivia (CSTUCB), announced that the organization would begin a general blockade of streets nationwide. Within hours, trade unionists across the country heeded the call. By the end of the day, the Federation of Cocaleros of Mamoré-Bulo Bulo had instituted stoppages of vehicles traveling through the new Cochabamba-Santa Cruz highway—the old one was also blockaded—and in the afternoon, the same measures were imposed on the road towards Potosí. For the first time, most blockades were no longer singularly in support of the civic strike. The difference, however, was geographic; civics blocked cities to demand a second round, while those supporting Morales blocked roads to unblock cities. Combined, these opposing forces contributed to the continued paralysis of the country as a whole.

28–29 October: Dynamite and pititas

At dawn, La Paz formally acceded to the indefinite strike as protesters took control of the city's main streets. In the neighborhoods of Obrajes and Miraflores, street blockades created stoppages along the main roads connecting the city center to the southern zone. The blockades led bus terminals to stop all departures from the seat of government. The same occurred in Cochabamba, Oruro, and Santa Cruz, where roadblocks were recorded in Sayari, Bulo Bulo, and on the Macha and Betanzos intersection along the Oruro-Potosí route. Back in the capital, the La Paz Bus municipal company suspended its services to prevent damage to its property and in compliance with the general strike. Such measures drew the ire of commercial drivers, who clashed with road blockers, successfully clearing routes along La Portada and Periférico avenues. On the other hand, in a confrontation on San Antonio Avenue, protesters managed to maintain stoppages against those who tried to break through it. However, the most violent events occurred on the bridge connecting the Huayllani and Achumani neighborhoods, where a pitched battle took place between blockers and drivers, leaving at least four injured and forcing police to intervene with tear gas.

External videos
Cabildo en la zona sur de La Paz — EFE
Encuentro por la democracia en El Alto — Bolivia TV

In La Paz and El Alto, road blockers clashed with drivers and miners.

Later that day, miners from the Syndical Federation of Bolivian Mineworkers (FSTMB) began their march through the city center in support of Morales. With shouts of "coup plotters will not pass" and "Mesa cabron", the miners attempted to break through several blockade points. Despite its legal ban, the indiscriminate use of dynamite was also recorded, leaving multiple injured even as opposition protesters decried the lack of police action. These violent actions were described as "a warm-up" by Huarachi, who declared that union pressure would intensify if the civic strike was not lifted within forty-eight hours. In the interior, thirty-three blockade points had been established along interdepartmental highways, affecting transit and supply lines in four departments, including La Paz. Vice President Álvaro García Linera attempted to distance the government from these actions, stating that those laying siege on cities had told Morales they would do so "whether or not you agree". Instead, García Linera blamed Mesa—whom he described as a "sore loser" and a "racist"—for generating violence in the country. At a rally on Costanera Avenue in the southern zone of La Paz, Mesa responded to the vice president: "... you accuse me of generating violence, blatantly lying, I must tell you: here I am! Either I go to jail or I go to the presidency!". Thousands of people attended the gathering in support of Mesa, notably, the Departmental Association of Coca Producers (ADEPCOCA), one of the few cocalero unions opposed to the government. On the other hand, one notable absence was that of Camacho, who had flown in from Santa Cruz to attend the rally. However, upon landing at the El Alto International Airport, he was met at the terminal by protesters, who prevented him from leaving the building, much less reaching the capital. On his return flight, Camacho assured that he had only left due to the tumultuous situation unfolding in Santa Cruz.

That day, Santa Cruz had been the scene of violent clashes between MAS supporters and opposition protesters in and around Plan Tres Mil . Per police reports, the use of firearms was recorded, leaving five injured. In rural communities outside Santa Cruz, pro-government demonstrators began instituting siege measures, detaining all vehicles circulating agricultural products into the capital. In Mairana and Samaipata, MAS marchers entered into a confrontation with local residents, causing damage to property and leaving eight injured. From Santa Cruz, a police contingent was sent to restore order and guarantee the free passage of vehicles transporting food. While law enforcement managed to retake control of Mairana, in Samaipata, MAS leader Adhemar Carrasco assured that they would maintain blockades from their base of operations in El Fuerte. "The blockade is radical, and nothing will enter or leave the valleys of Santa Cruz", Carrasco stated. By the afternoon, continued clashes in the city had left at least thirty wounded, causing the departmental government and the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee to declare themselves in a state of red alert.

Even as pro-government demonstrators strengthened siege measures outside Santa Cruz, within the city, Camacho and the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee's control over the capital only increased with each passing day. As an example, both the Press Union Federation and the local Coca-Cola bottler had to request the civic committee's permission for their journalist and supply trucks to circulate the city. Road blockers were radical in their measures, sometimes not even allowing the passage of ambulances. In extreme cases, those passing were forced to sing the Cruceño anthem "to demonstrate civility" or say "passwords" that made reference to Camacho.

They took me off my bike and forced me to sing the hymn to Santa Cruz. I resisted the desire to cry; I felt that they were going to hit me because they surrounded me; it was humiliating. After that, I didn't feel like going out.

— Vania, in Carolina Méndez, "Santa Cruz, 21 días de encierro por la libertad", La Revolución de las Pititas (2019).

At the end of the day in El Alto, the MAS organized a massive rally—the so-called "meeting for the triumph of democracy"—attended by the president, other authorities, trade unionists, and leaders of social organizations. There, Morales reiterated his electoral victory, assuring that more than ninety countries had recognized the results. At the same time, the president repeated his claim that the opposition sought to coup the government. Therefore, he called on supporters to defend the Casa Grande del Pueblo from those seeking to protest outside of it. The following day, on 29 October, various pro-government social organizations established encampments along the Plaza Murillo. Minister of Defense Javier Zavaleta stated that these groups were prepared to hold a days-long vigil to defend the presidential residence from any "coupist adventures".

Police forces prevent protesters from blockading an overpass.

Early in the morning, confrontations had already ignited between opposing groups. In the south, commercial drivers demanding the right to work marched from Huayllani to neighboring Achumani, where they attempted to unblock streets by force, throwing stones and other objects at opposition protesters. These violent actions left two wounded and forced police to intervene. Similarly, at around 9:00 a.m., protesters blocking the Gutiérrez Guerra Bridge—connecting the Miraflores and San Antonio neighborhoods—traded insults with unionized drivers, leading to the outbreak of hostilities and another intervention by police. On Arce Avenue in the city center, it was police themselves who dispersed road blockers using tear gas. Once cleared, law enforcement cordoned off the area around Plaza Isabel La Católica to facilitate the passage of vehicles. As noted by Miguel Aramayo, secretary of public relations for the Syndical Confederation of Bolivian Drivers, motorists' actions were not necessarily due to political support for Morales. Rather, the ongoing roadblocks caused the sector to suffer debilitating economic losses that forced them to take action. "What should we do, starve? When we have to pay debts to the banks, will the civic committee or CONADE give us [money]?", he stated.

In the afternoon, protesters at the Plaza del Estudiante called on police and military personnel to join the strike "in defense of democracy". Instead, law enforcement was observed opening the security cordon around the Plaza Murillo to allow pro-government social movements to enter. The tacit alliance between the police and social organizations, including law enforcement's light attitude towards the indiscriminate use of dynamite by miners, was heavily criticized by the opposition.

Along with La Paz, Cochabamba's municipal government also formally joined the indefinite strike on 28 October, with Acting Mayor Iván Tellería stating that, save for emergency services, "the municipality of Cochabamba is going to paralyze all activities". Here too, from 8:00 a.m., road blockers clashed with commercial drivers, who attempted to unblock the route through 6 de Agosto Avenue in the south of the city. After a more than four-hour confrontation, police intervened with tear gas but were met with little success. Opposing forces threw sticks, stones, and firecrackers at one another, with Police Commander Raúl Grandy reporting the use of whips with nails, modified firecrackers, and Molotov cocktails as well. Elsewhere in the south of the city, on Panamericana Avenue, road blockers—reinforced by at least 300 UMSS students—brawled with drivers trying to clear the street, leaving three wounded. Further skirmishes occurred in the neighborhoods of Cruce Taquiña in the north and Muyurina in the east between protesters and pro-MAS groups. Back south, local FEJUVE leaders in the city's 15th District demanded that the Mayor's Office reopen operations; otherwise, they would close of the K’ara K’ara landfill and the Albarrancho treatment plant.

The conflict in Cochabamba carried on into 29 October as the city streets were the scene of what Red UNO described as a "battlefield". That day, some 500 MAS supporters traveling from Sacaba arrived at Muyurina intending to cross the bridge into the Tupuraya neighborhood. They were blocked by more than 200 counterprotesters, leading to violent confrontations along Ramón Rivero Avenue on the bridge's southside. Opposing forces threw blunt objects at one another, with some descending to the banks of the Rocha River from where they hurled firecrackers and threw stones. Police attempted to disperse the crowd with tear gas but could not stop the skirmish from crossing into Tupuraya. Once across, the historic "El Pueblito" sector was almost entirely destroyed as combatants damaged property and burned vehicles. Multiple injuries were reported, including the motorcyclist Pablo Villarroel, whose vehicle was burned by protesters, who dragged him onto the street and beat him almost to death, leaving the man with a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures.

Following the clashes in Muyurina, pro-MAS protesters withdrew to Sacaba, during which time a small group of vandals set fire to San Pedro Hill near the Cristo de la Concordia. The area burned from 2:50 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., charring eight hectares of protected land. Twenty-one people were arrested for environmental crimes. Skirmishes on the Plaza de Las Banderas also resulted in fires after a stray flare hit a palm tree. In both cases, continued roadblocks across the city prevented firefighters from taking immediate action. In an effort to regulate the passage of ambulances, fire trucks, water carriers, and press vehicles without allowing access to people seeking to harm the strike, the Cochabamba Civic Committee had begun distributing "authorization tickets" containing each vehicle's license plate number and the name of its driver so that they could transit through the city. Considering that these needed to be presented at each blockade point, the time it took to transfer water from north to the south had doubled.

Adding to the traffic stoppages was the announcement of strikes by the Cochabamba Transport Federation, demanding an immediate resolution to the conflict; if not, they would radicalize their pressure measures. In parallel, the Federation of Factory Workers of Cochabamba (FTTFC) also called for an end to the crisis through the convocation of new general elections overseen by a renewed and impartial TSE. The union also ratified its political independence, for which reason it gave twenty-four hours for Hermo Perez, executive secretary of the COD in Cochabamba and MAS deputy-elect, to resign "for being partial to a political party and neglecting labor rights". If they did not receive a favorable response, the FTTFC outlined the immediate withdrawal of its representatives from the COD.

30 October: The OAS audit begins

As the government continued to negotiate with the OAS over the conditions in which the organization could conduct an electoral audit, the opposition's attitude towards the process had radicalized. On the night of 29 October, after a meeting of its directive, the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee resolved to elevate its demands. Though previously inclined towards supporting an electoral investigation, Camacho now stated that "we are not going to accept any audit". Instead, he announced that the indefinite strike would continue until the election results were annulled and new ones convoked within a timespan no longer than it would have taken to hold a runoff. Given the lack of public trust in the institution, Camacho also stated that any new electoral process would necessitate a renewed TSE. On the other hand, the leaders of the Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Oruro, Potosí, and Tarija civic committees—self-styled as the Civic Committees of the South—maintained their position that the only way out of the conflict was to "expel Evo Morales from power". To achieve this, they declared a radicalization of pressure measures across the country and ratified their decision to march to the capital. For his part, Mesa agreed with Camacho that "a new election would be ideal". At the same time, however, the ex-president assured that he was predisposed to accept an audit by the OAS, though only if the government agreed that its findings would be binding. At a press conference, Minister of Communication Manuel Canelas pledged that if the OAS' probe demonstrated fraud favoring the ruling party, the government would concede to a second round. "Nothing more binding than that", he stated.

Work Schedule of the Organization American States' Audit Mission in Bolivia

Activity	O.	November
	31	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12
Arrival of the audit team.
Interviews and meetings with different actors.
Validate findings and process information.
Compilation of results and writing of final report.
Review and delivery of final report.
Return of the audit team.
Source: Corzo — elaboration based on La Razón (31 October 2019), p. A2.

On the morning of 30 October, Foreign Minister Pary announced in a press conference that the government and the OAS had reached an agreement to allow the latter to conduct a comprehensive audit of 20 October's electoral results. Starting from the thirty-first, the OAS' Audit Mission would begin conducting a thorough investigation into the electoral process, including verification of minutes, statistical data, and chain of custody. Once completed, the team of experts would deliver a report of its results to Secretary-General Almagro, who would then convey the OAS' findings to the government. Crucially, Pary confirmed the government's previous pledge that "the result of the audit report will be binding on both parties".

Mesa immediately rejected the probe, stating that it had been "unilaterally agreed" without consulting the country or having the participation of opposition representatives. Therefore, he said, "we (Civic Community) do not accept the audit under the current terms". For Mesa, the situation had given rise to a rhetorical contradiction. On the one hand, the ex-president had expressed his confidence in the work of the MOE and its initial expression of concern over irregularities in the election; on the other hand, he rejected a formal audit by the OAS—the MOE's parent organization. The fact of the matter was that many in the opposition did not trust the impartiality of the OAS, mainly due to Almagro's contradictory statements prior to the election. In 2017, the secretary-general rejected Bolivia's abolishment of term limits, stating that Morales did not have the "right to perpetual power". However, during a later visit to the country, he had reversed his position, assuring that it "would be absolutely discriminatory" for Morales not to be allowed to run for re-election. Furthermore, in the time it had taken for the government and OAS to facilitate an electoral investigation, the opposition's initial unity surrounding the call for a second round had largely dissipated. As Morales himself pointed out: "some say Evo out, others say new elections, others say a second round".

As the OAS prepared to conduct its electoral investigation, the internal conflict in the country continued to worsen. Santa Cruz was the most affected area, recording clashes inside and outside the capital. At around 10:00 a.m., pro-MAS demonstrators skirmished with opposition protesters on Amistad Bridge, connecting Portachuelo to Montero through the Piray River. Opposing sides carried rocks, Molotov cocktails, and firecrackers, with some on the ruling party camp also brandishing firearms. According to Líder Alba, president of the Sara Province Civic Committee, seven people were wounded, including four burn victims and one man, Adrián Mercado, who was shot twice: once in the abdomen and again on the side of his face. In the end, the Portachuelo civics lost control over the bridge. After that, the confrontations made their way to Montero, where at least thirty people were left injured during clashes in the Guadalupe and Rincón del Tigre neighborhoods. Sporadic violence continued throughout the day, with a noted lack of police intervention. At about 5:00 p.m., another major fight broke out in the north, in which Andrés Medina, son of Regis Medina, president of the Montero Civic Committee, was shot in the forehead by a pellet gun. That night, during a skirmish in the Cofadena neighborhood, the country's social conflict counted its first two deaths: Mario Salvatierra, who was shot twice in the chest and side, and Marcelo Terrazas, a member of the Santa Cruz Youth Union, who was also hit by gunfire. Elsewhere in Santa Cruz, opposition roadblocks and pro-government siege measures had begun to take their toll on rural communities. In Vallegrande, the Federation of Rural Workers continued to block access to fuel trucks, endangering crop production due to the lack of gasoline to power the irrigation system; in Camiri, civic strikes blockaded the bridge crossing the Parapetí River, leading to a shortage of fuel; and in Ascensión de Guarayos, the lack of supplies caused both food and fuel to balloon in price.

Opposition demonstrators confront police.

In the suburban city of Quillacollo on the outskirts of Cochabamba, miners armed with dynamite clashed with opposition protesters as they attempted to reach the capital. Though the miners successfully pushed through, they halted their advance into the city due to blockade points installed along Blanco Galindo Avenue. The strongest such barriers were set up on the Huayculi Bridge, where demonstrators welded together makeshift shields to defend themselves. South of Cochabamba, police intercepted a minibus seeking to enter the city through Santiváñez. Fifteen miners from Sicaya were detained after investigators found 145 sticks of dynamite in their possession. Ultimately, the miners withdrew their forces to Vinto, where confrontations between themselves and locals broke out; one man, Fernando Choquevillca, lost three fingers after a stick of dynamite was detonated near him. After that, police escorted the miners to Suticollo, where they declared a truce pending the completion of the OAS audit.

Despite the withdrawal of the miners, the situation in Cochabamba remained tense. In the morning, the Syndical Federation of Press Workers of Cochabamba (FSTPC) held a press conference to denounce violent acts against their journalists, photographers, and camera crew. In parallel, commercial drivers from Cochabamba's southern zone as well as Quillacollo and Sacaba marched into the city center demanding an end to the strike. Upon arriving at the Plaza 14 de Septiembre—where the FSTPC held its press conference—a group of drivers interrupted the meeting, shouting insults, throwing objects, and accusing the media of "biasing" their reports. Amid this situation, journalists criticized the lack of police action, with David Ovando, executive secretary of the FSTPC, calling on Police Commander Raúl Grandy to enforce previous agreements guaranteeing the security of press workers. In recent days, Grandy had faced increased scrutiny from opposition groups due to his seemingly lackadaisical attitude toward pro-government or anti-opposition demonstrators. The police commander's "partiality" also drew the ire of some of his subordinates after a report by Los Tiempos revealed that fifteen officers had been arrested for reprimanding anti-strike protesters. That day, a group of officers delivered an ultimatum to Grandy, giving him "forty-eight hours to change your attitude; otherwise, we promise you that the police will stand up; there could be a mutiny at the national level". For his part, Grandy insisted that "the police position is impartial".

As La Paz entered its third day as an official participant of the civic strike, protests and roadblocks were maintained across the city—albeit in reduced amounts. Many of these were concentrated in Miraflores—particularly around Plaza Uyuni and Busch Avenue—and in the city's southern zone. Most notably, demonstrators in Achumani now armed themselves with makeshift shields in response to the previous days' violent confrontations. However, many civic leaders and organizations continued to bide their time, awaiting the measures that the CONADE would announce in the next day's meeting. A "national cabildo" bringing together civic leaders from across the country had been scheduled to start on the thirtieth. However, due to logistics issues and in order to allow delegates from the Pro-Santa to participate, it was delayed by one day. As the day passed, law enforcement personnel took charge of guarding certain city sectors and lifting blockades in areas of strife, at times leading to police repressions: on J. J. Pérez Street, a student protester lost his eye after being struck by a tear gas canister. The use of dynamite also continued to be a major security issue for police. At Lanza Market, firefighters retrieved twenty-one sticks of "'primed' and ready to be used" dynamite abandoned overnight by a group of inebriated miners.

Though most miners adhered to the pro-government stance of their mining cooperatives, such loyalty was not universal. In Potosí, some 15,000 miners revolted against the Departmental Federation of Mining Cooperatives (FEDCOMIN), demanding new general elections and announcing a march toward the capital. In Cobija, opposition protesters—joined by students from the Amazonian University of Pando (UAP) and members of the Motorcycle Taxi Federation—blockaded multiple city streets, including 9 de Febrero Avenue, Cobija's main road. Further north, police took control over La Amistad Bridge to secure it from those attempting to blockade the route connecting Bolivia to Brazil. Similar actions had previously occurred in Oruro, where protesters used heavy vehicles to block the highway to Chile.

31 October: National cabildo in La Paz

Evo Morales has tried to do all possible twists and turns to stay in office since 2006, despite the fact that the law prohibited him from doing so and that the citizens expressed their will [by] not validating his attempt to be re-elected a fourth time. ... In a democracy, there are doors that should not be opened; presidential re-election and the extension of government mandates is one of them. Power is seductive, and there are many who seek to perpetuate themselves in power at any cost.

— Arturo Espinosa Silis, OAS director of strategy, in "Evo: siempre electo; nunca inelecto".

On 31 October, the Bolivian government received the thirty-strong team of specialists and auditors provided by the OAS. The audit mission was initially headed by the Mexican-national Arturo Espinosa Silis: OAS director of electoral strategy and specialist in electoral processes and law. However, critics quickly questioned Espinosa Silis' impartiality, given that he had previously made numerous statements critical of Morales and his government's electoral policy. Most notably, four days before the election, in an opinion piece for MVS Noticias, Espinosa Silis criticized Morales' "desire to perpetuate himself in power". In response, he conceded that he had failed to inform the OAS about his previous statements. Therefore, one day after its arrival, Espinosa Silis announced his resignation from the OAS mission "so as not to compromise its impartiality".

As the OAS prepared to conduct its investigation, protesters in La Paz maintained strike measures; the opposition's national cabildo was scheduled for 6:00 p.m., with leaders of the Civic Committees of the South having already arrived in the capital. In the south of the city, roadblocks were installed in the neighborhoods of Obrajes, Alto Obrajes, and Calacoto, with stoppages on all outside routes leading into La Paz. At the same time, pro-government groups converged on the Plaza Murillo in support of Morales. The first to take to the streets were the drivers and merchants of Huayllani, who crossed through Achumani on their march towards the plaza, while in Calacota, parent organizations from Cota Cota and Palca traversed Ballivián Avenue. In both cases, opposition groups lifted their blockades to avoid confrontations. From the north, indigenous communitarians traveling from Nor and Sud Yungas entered La Paz through Urujara. However, the largest groups came from El Alto, where the Bartolina Sisa Confederation initiated its march toward the city center.

In the afternoon, thousands of opposition demonstrators attended the national cabildo on Montes Avenue. At the end of the event, the Civic Committees of the South disseminated their demands, approved by the popular voice vote of those attending. Under the slogan "neither Mesa nor Evo Morales!", the civics definitively rejected the initial demand for a runoff vote, repudiating the OAS audit as a "distractionist" measure by the government. Therefore, the civics affirmed that strikes, mobilizations, and other pressure measures would be maintained and radicalized until Evo Morales resigned as president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, making way for the annulment of the "fraudulent" 2019 general elections and the convocation of new elections under the supervision of a renewed board of electoral authorities. Most notably, the cabildo also approved the call for the National Police and the Armed Forces to "unite with their people and not stain their hands with the blood of Bolivians".

Upon the cabildo's conclusion, hundreds of attendees began a march towards the Plaza Murillo to demand the president's resignation. They were prevented from entering by police forces, who cordoned off all streets leading into kilometer zero, launching tear gas into the crowds as protesters countered with glass bottles and firecrackers. As the fighting stretched into residential neighborhoods, the dispersal of tear gas affected protesters and civilians indiscriminately; merchants were forced to move their wares while children celebrating Halloween were affected by chemical agents. One boy was left injured after a tear gas canister struck his head. With that, the month of October came to a close after eleven days of continuous protests across the country. As noted by Corzo, as the conflict went on, "the radicalization of demands practically positioned the civic movements as leaders of the post-election protest, displacing the candidates and political parties". This was most notable in the lack of participation on the part of Civic Community in the national cabildo, ostensibly by the coalition's own volition though potentially because its members weren't even invited to attend.

1–3 November: Camacho's ultimatum

As the crisis moved into November, the indefinite strike was maintained nationwide, though with some respite to allow ordinary citizens to visit cemeteries in commemoration of All Saints' Day. In various locales, protesters led more solemn marches, mourning the two men who died in Montero two days prior; the bodies of the deceased were entombed on this date. In the afternoon, the Departmental Prosecutor's Office of Santa Cruz announced that six people had been arrested in connection to the deaths, including Juan Elías Nina, the president of the MAS youth wing in Montero.

In this context, the initial team of thirty OAS experts began its work in full, with further international specialists set to arrive within the next four days. Through a statement, the OAS clarified that once the total quantity of auditors had been deployed, the mission would begin calling on political parties, academia, and civil society sectors to present their complaints for the organization to analyze. As noted by Pary: "until this date, there is not a single complaint officially presented [by the opposition] to the institutional bodies". Even so, unofficial complaints and allegations of fraud continued to be diffused through social networks. In La Paz, a group of locals reported the discovery of a series of electoral records that had been discarded in a dumpster on Yungas Street, miles north of their point of origin. According to Marcel Guzmán de Rojas, executive of Neotec—the company that provided the TREP system to the TSE—the main task of the OAS would be to analyze complaints such as these and discern whether or not they were "nonsense" or if they could really contribute. However, he stressed that "an isolated individual irregularity" did not constitute fraud; "it has to be systematic". In the afternoon, the TSE officially ratified the results of 20 October, definitively declaring Morales the winner of the election. Given this, the TSE ruled out any possibility of the elections being annulled, with Idelfonso Mamani assuring that such an action would violate the laws of the State. Upon the conclusion of the act, Mesa criticized the TSE for ratifying the electoral results while the OAS audit was still underway, characterizing the body's actions as "an attack on the good faith of the international community".

On the one hand, the executive body affirmed that the results could be modified according to the conclusions of the audit, and on the other, the electoral body consummated the results with the signing of the final act ...

— Rodrigo Corzo, 21 Días: Cronología de los Sucesos Poselectorales de 2019 en Bolivia (2020).

On the night of 2 November, civic leaders from seven of the nine departments met in Santa Cruz for a second national cabildo at the Cristo Redentor. In the event's closing speech, Camacho delivered an ultimatum to the government, giving Morales forty-eight hours to resign from office, else the civics would reconvene to coordinate actions that would "guarantee that he leaves". "... on Monday he is going to go, he is going to go; I guarantee it", Camacho stated. At the same time, the civic pushed against Morales' coup claims, assuring that "we are not overthrowing a government but rather liberating an entire nation". According to Villena, who attended the cabildo on behalf of CONADE, Camacho's ultimatum had taken the other civic leaders by surprise, as he had not discussed it with them beforehand. Notwithstanding, the intensification of civic demands put increased pressure on more moderate opposition groups to fall in line. Following a meeting in its La Paz headquarters, representatives from CC found that the call for a second round was no longer tangible, with the coalition officially joining the demand for new elections.

In the early hours of the thirteenth, police forces moved to clear out barricades installed along Blanco Galindo and Villazón avenues—blocking entry to the city from the west and east, respectively. Police actions began at 4:00 a.m., when law enforcement personnel—aided by machinery provided by the Sacaba Mayor's Office—took Villazón Avenue. The area remained open to traffic until 9:00 a.m., when protesters successfully retook it. Police saw more success on Blanco Galindo Avenue, where over 100 officers were stationed to prevent the impediment tp traffic flow. On the other hand, their actions resulted in the intensification of blockade measures in Quillacollo, even increasing in number compared to previous days.

In the evening, Potosí Governor Juan Carlos Cejas announced that Morales had repealed Supreme Decree N° 3738. The law had sought to develop Bolivia's lithium deposits in Uyuni with support from German firms. However, it was opposed by COMCIPO, which demanded that the agreement grant greater benefits and mining royalties. The civic committee had been leading mobilizations against it even before the 20 October election. COMCIPO Vice President Juan Carlos Manuel indicated the organization's support for the law's abrogation but affirmed that "the time for half measures is over". Even so, Morales' decision marked the first time the government had conceded to protesters' demands since demonstrations began.

8–9 November: Police mutiny

• A group of police officers, attached to the Police Operations Tactical Unit, rebels against Evo Morales and riots in a Cochabamba barracks. The mutiny occurred in demand for the dismissal of the departmental commander, Raúl Grandy. Shortly after, it became known that Colonel Jaime Edwin Zurita, former National Director of Transit, was appointed in his place, which, however, did not quell the police protest. The first police mutiny was reported on Friday in the city of Cochabamba and later police units from Sucre, Santa Cruz and also Oruro were added, where the agents even took over the government.

• Police rebellion spreads.
• The MAS calls for demonstrations to defend the victory of Evo Morales.
• The resignations of MAS authorities begin.

10 November: Twenty-one days

OAS report and findings

Further information: 2019 Bolivian general election § Results of OAS audit

COB: "We do not want to be complicit"

External videos
COB Executive Secretary Juan Carlos Huarachi called on Morales to resign if it'd pacify the country.
La COB le pide a Morales renunciar si es necesario para pacificar el país — UNITEL

We, as workers, ... are not going to be responsible; we do not want to be complicit in the bloodshed that you see in the country. ... Comrade President, we call on you to reflect ... [on] if there is a need to resign in order to pacify the Bolivian people ... I reiterate and ratify, the people are asking; that is why we ask the president of the State to reflect on that request that the Bolivian people have: if it is for the good of the country, if it is for the health of the country, that our president resign.

— Juan Carlos Huarachi, executive secretary of the Bolivian Workers' Center, in "La COB le pide a Morales renunciar si es necesario para pacificar el país".

The Armed Forces' "suggestion"

Since the first day of protests, the High Command of the Armed Forces had ordered the complete quartering of its active personnel throughout the national territory. The military's neutrality in the conflict largely owed to its history of often brutal interventions in political affairs. According to one officer, "there is fear in the military ranks because there are bloody events in our memory that we do not want to relive". For General Williams Kaliman, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, there was serious "anguish" over the dilemma of whether or not to deploy the Army onto the streets. Kaliman had sustained numerous meetings with top officials to analyze the consequences of sending the military to quell protesters. Thus far, the High Command had not been ordered to do so. However, the potential ramifications of refusing a hypothetical presidential order versus being held responsible for the deaths of civilians weighed heavily on their considerations.

External videos
General Williams Kaliman (left) suggested that Morales resign to avoid worsening civil unrest in the country.
Fuerzas Armadas sugieren al Presidente Morales renunciar a su mandato — UNITEL

Given the escalation of the conflict that the country is going through—ensuring life, the safety of the population, the guarantee of the rule of the Political Constitution of the State, in accordance with Article 20 of the Organic Law of the Armed Forces—and after analyzing the internal conflictive situation, we suggest to the president of the State that he renounce his presidential mandate, allowing for the pacification and the maintenance of stability for the good of our Bolivia.

— Williams Kaliman, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Bolivia, in "Fuerzas Armadas sugieren al Presidente Morales renunciar a su mandato".

Morales resigns

External videos
After twenty-one days of protests, Evo Morales resigned from office on 10 November 2019.
Evo Morales renuncia a la presidencia boliviana — Telesur

https://boliviaverifica.bo/cuando-decidio-renunciar-esto-es-lo-que-evo-morales-narro-en-sus-memorias/ https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/2021/3/29/en-sus-memorias-evo-dice-que-decidio-renunciar-el-de-noviembre-el-10-el-pedido-de-la-cob-confirmo-su-decision-289082.html#! https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/2020/1/22/revelan-que-evo-renuncio-antes-del-pedido-de-las-ffaa-244245.html

https://elpais.com/internacional/2019/11/17/america/1573946084_680683.html https://www.lostiempos.com/actualidad/pais/20191111/mas-400-heridos-3-muertos-casi-20-dias

Aftermath

Reactions

Main article: Reactions to the 2019 Bolivian political crisis

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/23/the-fall-of-evo-morales

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/bolivias-evo-morales-wants-to-stay-in-the-game

https://data.eldeber.com.bo/seccion/represion/

https://el-negocio-de-la-represion.elclip.org/

Prosecution

Coup I case

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/ahora-lidia-patty-quiere-presos-a-los-camacho-y-pide-que-evo-y-alvaro-vayan-a-declarar-CK2862141

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/mas-confirma-que-hubo-reunion-para-definir-juicio-de-anez-y-anuncia-otra-para-el-caso-golpe-i-DB2892674

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/patty-pide-a-la-fiscalia-aprehender-a-seis-lideres-politicos-y-activar-alerta-migratoria-HE3006911

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/cc-vamos-a-asumir-el-rol-de-acusadores-contra-evo-morales-y-alvaro-garcia-AX3011460

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/mas-reactiva-acoso-a-opositores-y-cc-replica-con-demanda-a-evo-HB3012876

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/mesa-afirma-que-denunciara-penalmente-a-evo-por-dejar-vacante-el-cargo-en-2019-LX3022926

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/golpe-i-fiscalia-cita-como-testigo-a-samuel-doria-medina-para-este-jueves-EJ3029116

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/fiscalia-observa-ampliacion-de-la-denuncia-del-caso-golpe-i-y-patty-alista-enmienda-FJ3029878

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/paz-representantes-del-mas-estaban-de-acuerdo-con-salida-constitucional-de-2019-NB3030861

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/doria-medina-solicita-suspender-audiencia-presencial-y-pide-una-virtual-por-estar-fuera-del-pais-BX3033751

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/samuel-pide-audiencia-virtual-y-justiniano-declarar-en-santa-cruz-JI3039218

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/caso-golpe-i-doria-medina-declarara-el-miercoles-FA3046564

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/tres-opositores-declaran-esta-semana-por-el-caso-golpe-i-IA3057758

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/piden-aprehender-a-tres-opositores-EN3069251

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/alarcon-se-presenta-en-la-fiscalia-y-mesa-ve-una-caceria-de-defensores-de-la-democracia-AD3072604

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/denuncian-que-buscan-mantener-preso-a-pumari-FG3080160

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/carlos-alarcon-dice-que-caso-golpe-i-busca-encubrir-a-evo-XG3080624

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/tuto-se-presenta-en-la-fiscalia-y-califica-de-burla-y-tramoya-el-proceso-del-caso-golpe-i-HK3084922

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/pary-le-otorgo-el-salvoconducto-a-evo-en-2019-y-otras-siete-frases-de-tuto-LX3088739

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/no-se-pueden-sentar-con-un-enemigo-patty-pide-procesar-a-salvatierra-y-rivero-por-traicion-XY3089123

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/caso-golpe-i-fiscalia-citara-a-luis-fernando-camacho-y-su-padre-para-la-siguiente-semana-CY3089150

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/doria-medina-me-llamo-hector-arce-zaconeta-y-me-suplico-que-asista-a-la-reunion-de-la-ucb-FY3089711

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/tuto-revela-chats-y-asegura-que-en-2019-representantes-del-mas-aceptaron-a-anez-NG3091096

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/rivero-admite-que-chateo-con-tuto-tras-la-renuncia-de-evo-en-2019-BK3095650

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/lima-no-hay-ninguna-posibilidad-de-que-rivero-y-salvatierra-sean-procesadas-por-la-crisis-de-2019-CX3099545

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/patty-deja-en-manos-de-la-fiscalia-la-decision-de-procesar-a-salvatierra-y-rivero-FX3099250

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/citan-a-camacho-como-sindicado-voy-a-dejar-sentado-que-hubo-fraude-y-la-huida-de-un-cobarde-CX3101949

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/nuevas-revelaciones-dan-reves-a-retorica-de-golpe-de-estado-GA3103383

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/golpe-ii-ordenan-liberacion-de-dos-exjefes-militares-EA3103699

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/confirman-chats-e-ivan-lima-descarta-que-incluyan-a-salvatierra-y-rivero-en-un-caso-MA3103358

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/copa-sobre-caso-golpe-i-no-me-voy-a-correr-estare-ahi-cuando-me-convoque-la-justicia-CE3107325

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/caso-golpe-i-comision-de-fiscales-llega-a-cantumarca-para-tomar-la-declaracion-de-pumari-NH3108843

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/rivero-afirma-que-asumira-defensa-y-recuerda-que-fue-expulsada-del-mas-FG3109722

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/patty-a-montano-mas-bien-esten-calladitos-no-me-saquen-la-lengua-puedo-hablar-muchas-cosas-NC3114791

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/revelaciones-sobre-2019-activan-una-batalla-interna-en-el-mas-DC3114720

https://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/pumari-dice-que-no-tomo-decision-politica-en-2019-DD3115588

https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/abogado-de-patty-solicito-aprehension-de-camacho-EC3114701

Temp.

Episcopal Conference

Description of dialogue facilitation

Faithful to the Christian principles of respect for the dignity of the Bolivian people, the Bolivian Episcopal Conference fulfills a historical role of facilitating dialogue in times of greatest conflict, always inspired by the care and promotion of the rights of all Bolivians.

The CEB understands dialogue facilitation as the multiple actions that allow positions, knowledge, opinions, interests, experiences and cultures to be brought together around a common objective. Dialogue facilitation is requested from people, institutions or organizations that enjoy the trust, credibility and recognition of the actors in conflict. The facilitator of the dialogue does not make decisions or force them, nor does he exert pressure towards one of the possible ways of resolving a conflict. Its role is limited to generating meeting spaces for the actors to find answers, solutions and agreements that lead to peaceful solutions in times of crisis. It is important to clarify that the actors in conflict attend a call when the facilitator of the dialogue enjoys trust. These processes are carried out with due reserve, to avoid information distortions.

Due to what has been stated, the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, at the request of the actors in the conflict, has fulfilled the role of facilitator of the dialogue, together with the European Union and the Embassy of Spain at the beginning and the United Nations later, in the 2019 conflict. In this process, the facilitators limited themselves to summoning the actors to dialogue, constituting themselves as interlocutors who made it possible for the parties to approach each other. In the dialogue spaces, the actors put forward proposals to pacify the country and discussed them. We emphasize that in these spaces no decisions were made, no minutes were drawn up, only verbal agreements were reached, because the purpose was rapprochement and agreement, for the common good.

The dialogue process began on November 7, 2019 and ended on December 5, leaving an accompaniment that lasted until approximately January 20, 2020. Bolivia was going through moments of uncertainty and fear. Today, looking back at the facts, four highlights can be identified in the dialogue facilitation process:

• Contacts to establish common issues that guide a process of dialogue.
• Dialogue around possible solutions.
• Agreements that allow the pacification of the country.
• Identification of actions that would make it possible to consolidate the agreements.

The CEB today identifies these moments in order to make clearer the complex path that was followed. At that time it was not possible to determine phases or moments, because the conflicts developed in unpredictable ways. It is also important to point out that there were actors who participated in some moments and other actors in other moments of the development of the conflict.

The conflict of 2019, prior to the events that are reported, worsened on October 20, with the inexplicable interruption of the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission system (TREP) and the denunciation of signs of fraud, presented by the population itself in various country points. The first points of conflict occurred in Potosí, Sucre and Santa Cruz. Later, the entire country was paralyzed both in urban and rural areas. Thousands of Bolivian men and women took to the streets to protest and blockade. This extreme determined that peaceful options be sought in the face of the conflict that had lasted eighteen days and tensions were growing. There were already wounded and deceased in Montero and the cruel death of a young man in Quillacollo had occurred

Among the first contacts, the Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB) had communication on November 7, 2019 with Manuel Canelas, then Minister of Communication, who asked the Church to collaborate in the pacification of the country, which was mired in a growing upheaval. . He proposed facilitating a favorable climate with a view to a second electoral round. From then on, communication was maintained with former Minister Canelas, evaluating the possibility of establishing a dialogue with the actors in conflict.

However, there were serious doubts about the existence of conditions for a serene and committed dialogue. Especially since in those days there was already talk of a coup and the defense of a process of change, as can be seen from the press releases cited above.

On November 8, a meeting was held with Carlos Mesa to discuss his willingness to participate in a dialogue with the actors in conflict and to reflect on the events surrounding the national elections. He replied that he would, as long as the one calling was the Catholic Church. He would not attend a government call.

That same day he reflected with the then Minister Canelas, suggesting that it was not appropriate to call those who were invited to dialogue to be coup plotters. He also suggested expanding the number of guests invited to the dialogue, including all the actors in the conflict: political parties, civic committees, social organizations, because, although they did not share positions, they were part of what was happening. https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/2019/11/8/comunarios-cierran-valvulasde-una-represa-de-agua-en-cochabamba-236764.html

At all times, the imperative of giving the greatest possible transparency to the dialogue process and ensuring that all the actors involved participated, without exception, was kept in mind.

That same November 8, a CEB commission, made up of Msgr. Toribio Cardenal Ticona, Msgr. Edmundo Abastoflor (Archbishop of La Paz) and Msgr. Percy Galván (Bishop Prelate of Coro Coro) met with President Evo Morales, who He insistently asked them to publish a call for peace. The CEB agreed to his request and published, that same day, the statement "No more violence in Bolivia" in which it urged all actors to dialogue:

At the same time, contact was established with the Delegation of the European Union in Bolivia and the Embassy of Spain. Both organizations, also convened by the Bolivian government, shared their vision of the facilitating role that invested them as promoters of dialogue throughout the process. The CEB, meeting for the first time on November 8, when the Bolivian Police had already mutinied, proposed the following methodological points:

• Consult the actors in conflict if they had the predisposition to sit down to dialogue.
• Identify, with the actors in conflict, the common objectives with a view to pacifying the country.
• Stop the escalation of violence, after three weeks of unresolved conflict.

It should be noted that all the facilitation actions were framed in the absolute respect for democracy, the rule of law and non-violence.

Within this framework, the CEB attended a meeting on November 9 called by the Brazilian ambassador, Octavio Enrique Cortez. Meeting in which the diplomatic delegations, concerned about the uncertain climate and the growing national violence, asked the Church if it could be the one to convene a dialogue process, safeguarding the safety of those who would intervene, especially that of government agents and the sectors in protest and, of course, that of the facilitators of the dialogue.

On the other hand, a meeting was held with Luis Fernando Camacho, from the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee, to discuss his willingness to participate in a dialogue, with the presence of the Government, Citizen Community, members of the diplomatic corps and the Catholic Church to reflect on proposals for dialogue and peace. The civic leader was willing, although in future meetings he did not personally participate but sent Xerxes Justinian on his behalf. And other contacts were sought to raise the need for a sincere dialogue, committed to the pacification of the country. The conflicts continue to worsen (https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/2019/11/9/policias-salen-marchar-conla-gente-que-los-escolta-236886.html).

"The European Union (EU) and the Catholic Church managed the pacification since the departure of Evo Morales, was it so?" Response: “Even before, the mediation efforts were requested by all parties, between the end of October and the beginning of November, and there we agreed with the Episcopal Conference, which had the authority, and we joined it. In fact, the first effort was at the request of the resigned government and the majority of the Assembly, to guarantee the departure of former President Evo Morales with all the assurances, and this was achieved through the contacts of each other, making national and international efforts. A plane could have arrived and offered him a way to Mexico.” (León de la Torre, interview with El Deber, August 2, 2020)

On November 10, 2019, at the request of the Bishops of Bolivia, the Holy Father Francis called, from Rome, in the Angelus prayer, for peace and to wait without violence for the OAS audit report on the elections.

First thing in the morning, the OAS published the preliminary report of the group of auditors on the electoral process in Bolivia. Said audit was binding in accordance with what was agreed with then President Evo Morales. The report showed "Malicious manipulation, partiality of the electoral authority, alteration of records, failures in the chain of custody and forgery of signatures." This report was subsequently endorsed by the Electoral Mission of the European Union and was presented in its final version on December 4, 2019.

Around eight in the morning, the president, without mentioning the results of the OAS preliminary audit report, announced to the country the renewal of all the members of the TSE and communicated his decision to call new elections (https:// www1.abi.bo/abi_/?i=439422 Morales urges the population to pacify the country after calling for new elections). (https://www.opinion.com.bo/articulo/pais/emboscada-ataque-criminalmineros-potosinos-deja-heridos-bala/20191110133141736356.html La Defensoría del Pueblo calificó de "criminal" el asedio y uso de armas de fuego contra mineros cooperativistas que se trasladan a la ciudad de La Paz).

Like the population, the Church received with great surprise both the report of the OAS results and the president's announcement to call new elections. It was understood that such information totally changed the scenario for the dialogue process that sought to pacify Bolivia. The facilitators realized that the OAS report ratified the population's suspicions about possible fraud and, in this context, the president's statement convulsed the country more. People in the streets were already demanding the president's resignation. The country was rapidly approaching greater situations of violence. Dialogue was essential. This is how the facilitators understood it.

Reason for which, on the morning of November 10, 2019, the then Minister Manuel Canelas was informed that the Bolivian Episcopal Conference wanted to convene a first meeting for Monday, November 11 in the afternoon, in which it was expected that he was present, the ambassador of Spain Emilio Pérez de Agreda, the ambassador Carmelo Angulo (delegate by the Spanish government for the audit of the OAS), the ambassador of Brazil Octavio Enrique Cortez, a representative of Carlos Mesa, one of Luis Fernando Camacho and for Potosí Marco Antonio Pumari. A small group to begin a reflection from which it was hoped a solution would come out to be transmitted to the Government.

At that time, the population not only demanded the resignation of Evo Morales, but also demanded that he not run again, vindicating the results of the Referendum of February 21, 2016.

Among other news headlines, news like this appears: The MAS sows chaos and terror in La Paz and El Alto. Followers of Evo Morales attack private homes and loot businesses. https://www.paginasiete.bo/nacional/2019/11/10/el-massiembra-caos-terror-en-la-paz-el-alto-237038.html

Surprisingly, the unexpected chain of resignations and events began that led Bolivia to uncertainty due to a power vacuum. Also by the media, it has been established that:

At 13:00, in contact with Red Bolivisión, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Víctor Borda, deputy for Potosí, announced his resignation as president of the Chamber of Deputies.

At approximately 3:45 p.m., the Armed Forces (FFAA), at a press conference, suggested that the president resign in order to pacify the country. “Watching over life, the safety of the population; the guarantee of the rule of the Political Constitution of the State in accordance with article 20 of the Organic Law of the Armed Forces”.

At 4:50 p.m., President Evo Morales surprisingly announced his resignation to the Bolivian people. Both he and Vice President Álvaro García Linera indicated that they formalized, by letter to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, their resignation from the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the State, respectively.

At 6:13 p.m., through a communication with the UNITEL television network, Senator Adriana Salvatierra announced her resignation from the presidency of the Chamber of Senators, definitively modifying the line of constitutional succession.

At 7:35 p.m., Marcelo Ebrard, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, communicated through an official tweet from the Mexican Foreign Ministry, the asylum granted to 20 people from the Executive and Legislative Bodies of Bolivia in his official residence in La Paz. He also made it known that President Evo Morales was granted political asylum.

Consequently, the Executive and Legislative Bodies were headless, and in the case of the Chamber of Senators, with the resignation of Senator Salvatierra, it was the turn of First Vice President Rubén Medinaceli Ortiz to take office, but he also resigned, for which he assumed the presidency of the Upper House Senator Jeanine Añez, second vice president, in application of the Internal Regulations of the Chamber of Senators. In the case of the Chamber of Deputies, Víctor Borda Belzu irrevocably resigns from the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies on November 10, and on the same day Deputy Susana Rivero Guzmán, first vice president, also resigns. Deputy Margarita Fernández Claure, second vice president, takes office temporarily and calls a chamber session for November 12 to consider the resignations of deputies Borda and Rivero. They do not deal with it on that date, but on November 20 and unanimously accept the resignations and then proceed to the election of their successors, Sergio Choque and Henry Cabrera (https://eldeber.com.bo/pais/diputados-aceptan- deborda-and-rivero-resign-choose-choque-and-cabrera-to-replace-them_157274)

Like all the Bolivian people, the CEB learned of the resignation of President Morales and the entire line of succession through the media. Warning that these resignations left the country in a serious power vacuum that put the rule of law at risk. The Bolivian people were left at the mercy of the social violence that increased that same night

The facilitators were puzzled by the events of that day. There was deep concern about the high degree of danger to which democratic stability and citizen security were being exposed. Given the state of emergency and assuming the role of facilitating the dialogue that the CEB had assumed days before, together with the EU and the Embassy of Spain, a discreet meeting space was convened between all the actors, with the purpose of seeking possible solutions. , in the face of a power vacuum, uncertainty and growing violence.

It was considered convenient to convene the actors who had already contacted before and other relevant ones. Government representatives, members of the diplomatic corps, all parties with parliamentary representation, parties that emerged from the electoral process, civic committees, CONADE and other visible social actors were invited. The attendees stated that their participation responded to the credibility and trust provided by the facilitators of the dialogue (Catholic Church, European Union and Embassy of Spain).

Finally, it was possible to hold a first meeting at the end of the afternoon of Sunday, November 10, in a room provided by the Bolivian Catholic University, because its location is in an intermediate zone of the city and there was great difficulty in moving around the barricades. and citizen mobilizations, an extreme that determined that the guests did not arrive or took a long time to arrive. When it was finally possible to start, among the facilitators of the dialogue were present the Bolivian Episcopal Conference: the Secretary General, Msgr. Aurelio Pesoa; the Bishop of El Alto, Monsignor Eugenio Scarpellini; the Auxiliary Bishop of El Alto, Mons. Giovani Arana, the Deputy Secretary General, Fr. José Fuentes Cano and Juan Carlos Núñez; for the diplomatic corps: the ambassador of Brazil, Octavio Henrique Cortes, the ambassador of the European Union, León de la Torre, the ambassador of Spain, Emilio Pérez de Ágreda and the former ambassador of Spain Carmelo Angulo; Xerjes Justiniano was present for the civic committees, for CONADE, Waldo Albarracín and, on behalf of the Citizen Community, Ricardo Paz.

The dialogue focused on the rupture of the constitutional order, produced by the resignation of the president and the entire line of succession. All agreed that any solution should be considered in compliance with the Political Constitution of the State. Under this premise, the first proposal analyzed, to be submitted to the Legislative Assembly, regarding the installation of a civic-military board, proposed by Luis Fernando Camacho in the media, was immediately rejected. Later, the possibility was analyzed that the president of the Chamber of Senators would assume the presidency of the State while new elections were called and Senator Jeanine Áñez was in office. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H0cgJa_ghQ).

Áñez was the second vice president of the Senate and had not submitted her resignation. Due to the Internal Regulations of the Senate and the configuration of her directive, she was responsible for replacing the outgoing president and the first vice president who had also resigned. In conclusion, Añez was legally authorized to immediately occupy the position of president of the Senate.

From the meeting room, in the face of everyone's doubts and at the request of those present, Ricardo Paz contacted Senator Jeanine Áñez, via telephone and with an open microphone, and asked her about her availability to assume the presidency of the State. She replied: “if it is to serve the country, here I am”. It should be clarified that it was a consultation about a possibility. No decision was ever made. It was also very clear to all the participants that without the presence of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) it was not possible to find viable proposals.

The second point that was addressed was the dangerous situation in the streets and the strong wave of violence and disturbances that were being unleashed. Waldo Albarracín, who was participating in the meeting, was notified during the meeting that his house was being threatened (in fact, it was burned), which is why he hastily left the meeting. Concerned about this situation, we agree to make an urgent call to the security forces so that they fulfill their constitutional task of safeguarding order and peace.

At the end of the meeting, the joint statement of the CEB, Citizen Community, Civic Committees and CONADE "For PEACE in Bolivia" was read and published, which clearly summarizes what was discussed at the meeting. In it, it was forcefully affirmed “what is happening in Bolivia is not a coup d'état”; It called on “the National Police and the Armed Forces of the nation to comply, in an exceptional and emergency situation, with their constitutional role of defending property and people, preserving the life and freedom of all” and stated that "we all agree to propose to the Bolivian Assembly a constitutional and peaceful solution to have a constitutional president shortly with the task of forming a new electoral tribunal and leading us to new elections."

The country was mired in a power vacuum that unleashed violence and uncertainty. Several cities woke up to looting, several Puma Katari buses had been burned in the city of La Paz and Comprehensive Police Stations (EPIs) in the cities of La Paz and El Alto, social mobilizations shouting “now yes, civil war” took over from the streets, and it was already known about the burning of houses of MAS authorities and other leaders.

Strong clashes between neighbors were recorded, even with deaths. The population lived under a state of terror caused by the disinformation that circulated through threatening and alert messages on social networks. Riots and reciprocal threats continued in the streets by citizen groups that, in a spirit of revenge, threatened the population.

In the morning the meeting of the dialogue table was installed. But it was quite short. Despite the chaos installed in the streets, the only agenda that was allowed, by the representatives of the MAS, was to guarantee the departure of President Evo Morales, safely and without danger to his life, to Mexico. They were suggested to advance other points, given the degree of violence in the streets, but they did not allow it. They demanded that the group ensure the departure of President Evo Morales and, later, the meeting would continue.

As the meeting was very brief, in search of alternatives that will help contain the citizen lack of control, the Episcopal Conference, through three bishops and a priest, were present at the Army General Staff and at the Police General Command to request the containment of violence in the streets and citizen protection. But they were not received. They tried to contact the commanders of the police and the armed forces by phone, but they were also unsuccessful.

At the initiative of members of the diplomatic corps and, with the facilitation of the CEB, a meeting was set up again in the afternoon, in which the following were present as facilitators: for the Bolivian Episcopal Conference: the Secretary General, Msgr. Aurelio Pesoa; the Bishop of El Alto, Monsignor Eugenio Scarpellini; the Auxiliary Bishop of El Alto, Mons. Giovani Arana, the Deputy Secretary General, Fr. José Fuentes Cano and Juan Carlos Núñez; by the diplomatic corps: the Ambassador of the European Union, León de la Torre, Ambassador of Spain, Emilio Pérez de Ágreda and former Ambassador of Spain Carmelo Angulo, accompanying the OAS audit process.

For the Government and the political parties: for the MAS Senator Adriana Salvatierra and Mrs. Ana Teresa Morales; for the Citizen Community, Carlos Mesa and Ricardo Paz; for National Unity Samuel Doria Medina and former President Jorge Quiroga with lawyer Luis Vásquez; by the Civic Committees: Jerjes Justiniano was summoned on behalf of Luis Fernando Camacho, but he did not arrive indicating that he was being threatened; on behalf of CONADE: the former defender of the people Rolando Villena.

The fundamental objective of the dialogue table was to stop the chaos produced by the power vacuum. It was necessary to call the National Police and the Armed Forces to collaborate in restoring public order. However, dialogue was almost impossible, due to Senator Adriana Salvatierra constantly leaving the meeting room to answer or make phone calls. She at all times demanded that the group ensure the departure of Evo Morales and, later, the meeting would continue.

Those present at the meeting turned to their acquaintances so that civic committees, police and armed forces guarantee the peaceful departure of President Evo Morales. Given the situation of violence endangering the lives of people and property, the CEB, together with members of the International Community, issued another statement addressed to the Police and Armed Forces so that, from their constitutional obligation, they offer guarantees for the pacification of the country. Also calling the prosecutors to stop the orders of pressure and persecution of the authorities and former authorities, which they themselves indicated had been issued. A call was made to all Bolivians to live through such a difficult moment, calmly, preventing infiltrators from altering the climate of peace; it was a call for all of us to be builders of peace.

References

Bibliography

• Corzo, Rodrigo (2020). Mamani, Naira; Quisbert, Paola (eds.). 21 Días: Cronología de los Sucesos Poselectorales de 2019 en Bolivia (in Spanish) (1st ed.). La Paz: Fundación Hanns Seidel; Red de Líderes por la Democracia y Desarrollo. ISBN 978-9917-0-0477-6.
• Morales Ayma, Evo (2020). Volveremos y Seremos Millones: el Golpe de Estado, el Exilio, y la Lucha para que Bolivia Vuelva a Gobernarse (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Editorial Ariel. ISBN 978-9917-9837-0-5.
• Spedding, Alison (2020). Masucos & Vandálicos (in Spanish). La Paz: Editorial Mama Huaco.
• Organization of American States (2019). Electoral Integrity Analysis: General Elections in the Plurinational State of Bolivia, October 20, 2019 (PDF). Washington, D.C. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Página Siete (2019). La Revolución de las Pititas: 34 Crónicas Periodísticas sobre la Caída de Evo Morales (in Spanish) (1st ed.). La Paz: Editorial Página Siete – via the Vice Presidency of Bolivia.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Ombudsman's Office of Bolivia (2020). Informe Defensorial: Crisis de Estado, Violación de los Derechos Humanos en Bolivia (PDF) (in Spanish). Oruro: Artes Gráficas. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
• Bolivian Episcopal Conference (2021). Memoria del Proceso de Facilitación de Diálogo (PDF) (in Spanish). La Paz. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

External links

• Registry of fatalities at the Ombudsman's Office of Bolivia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 November 2019.

Category:2019 in Bolivia Category:2019 protests Category:2019 riots Category:21st-century revolutions Category:October 2019 events in South America Category:November 2019 events in South America Category:Colour revolutions Category:Conflicts in 2019 Category:Constitutional crises Category:Evo Morales Category:History of Bolivia Category:Protests against results of elections Category:Protests in Bolivia [[:Category:]]