Blockades test main forces in Bolivia amid election crisis

[Judi Lynn]

A cautious calm has now taken hold after the electoral tribunal decided to hold presidential elections on October 18.

by Jihan Abdalla
9 hours ago

Black remnants of scorched tires still stained dozens of Bolivia's main streets on Monday, after nearly two weeks of marches and road blockades by protesters furious with the government's decision to delay the presidential rerun election once more, amid the country's worsening coronavirus outbreak.

Thousands of protesters allied with the former leftist president Evo Morales had set up nearly 150 roadblocks nationwide demanding elections be held on September 6 - paralysing the Andean nation, causing food shortages and delaying the transport of critical medical supplies.

A cautious calm has now taken hold, and on Monday, markets were slowly being restocked after Bolivia's electoral tribunal last week enacted a law that mandated a presidential election must be held on October 18, citing the need to avoid a September projected peak in COVID-19 infections.

"After two weeks of violent protests and roadblocks, the country is now recuperating its sense of normalcy, after guarantees that elections can be held on October 18," said Raul Penaranda, a journalist and political analyst based in La Paz.

More:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/blockades-test-main-forces-bolivia-election-crisis-200817211436440.html