- Title: Violence mars campaign close at fraught Bolivia elections
- Date: 16th October 2019
- Summary: ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MORALES ON STAGE AT RALLY FLAG WITH IMAGE OF MORALES MORALES DANCING ON STAGE AT RALLY SUPPORTERS ON STAGE AT RALLY MORALES ON STAGE AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, SAYING: "The people of Santa Cruz are peaceful. Those who try to incite violence are going against democracy and not politics. The people of the world are seeing where this violence is coming from, from small groups. Brothers and sisters, whilst we're united we will keep on defeating those people who do not love the people of Bolivia." FIREWORKS AT RALLY SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS AT RALLY FOR CANDIDATE CARLOS MESA MESA WALKING ONTO STAGE AT RALLY BANNER THAT READS "PRESIDENT" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CANDIDATE CARLOS MESA, SAYING: "This strength that we have, to defend democracy. We are here to build a democracy, we are doing it here, bare face, bare chest, to win elections on October 20. We are going to win." GENERAL VIEW OF RALLY MESA AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CANDIDATE CARLOS MESA, SAYING: "The deep, a deep fear at the back of your spine are with the government, the authoritarians. They are the ones who are scared today because they've seen the balance of the votes amongst citizens." MESA WAVING TO SUPPORTERS INDIGENOUS WOMEN AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MESA SUPPORTER, LUISA PEREYRA, SAYING: "Carlos Mesa for the presidency, for democracy to re-conquer over our homeland, to remove the dictatorship from our land, the abuse of power, the corruption."
- Embargoed: 30th October 2019 04:52
- Keywords: Evo Morales Bolivia campaign violence election Carlos Mesa
- Location: SANTA CRUZ + LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- City: SANTA CRUZ + LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA004B1CJLMV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Violence broke out in Santa Cruz, Bolivia on Tuesday (October 15) night near the campaign closing rally for the incumbent President Evo Morales, amidst anger in the Latin American country as Morales eyes a fourth term in office.
Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, has won all three terms in crowded first-round elections, with more than 60% in the two most recent votes during a period of rapid economic growth in the landlocked country. While Morales is popular in rural areas neglected by previous governments, his support has slipped in cities where government abuse is a bigger concern.
He is under fire for seeking another term in defiance of constitutional term limits and a national referendum that voted against him being able to do so.
But speaking to supporters at his final rally ahead of the election, Morales denounced his critics as going against the country.
Morales is likely to win the first round on Oct. 20, according to a poll from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) and other academic and civil organisations.
However, the margin over the second place candidate, Carlos Mesa, would be sufficiently narrow to warrant a second round head-to-head. Mesa, who leads the Citizen Community alliance, is predicted to get around 27% of the first-round vote.
Rallying his supporters in La Paz, Mesa told supporters a vote for him would strengthen democracy in the country.
If Morales does not win 40% of votes with a 10-point lead over the runner-up, likely Mesa, the two will face off in a second round head-to-head on Dec. 15.
(Production: Monica Machicao, Paul Vieira, Santiago Limachi, Sergio Limachi) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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