Bolivian voters have approved a new national constitution drafted under the direction of the government of President Evo Morales.
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The Jan. 25 vote, which garnered support of some 65 percent of the Bolivian electorate, is a major political victory for Morales and his Movement Toward Socialism. The national referendum included a separate vote to cap land holdings to 12,000 acres, which passed with over 70 percent support. More than 90 percent of eligible voters turned out, giving the Morales government a solid mandate to implement the new constitutional guarantees.
Bolivia’s poor workers, farmers and Indigenous peoples, reacted to the victory with excitement. On the day the constitutional referendum was held, Plaza Murillo was filled with tens of thousands of joyful Bolivians. Their victory rests on the shoulders of the generations that have fought off colonialism, imperialism, neoliberal policies and racist oppression.
President Morales presided over the festive gathering, announcing: “Here starts the new Bolivia, a state with a nation, here starts the liberty to bring equality to all Bolivians.”
Historically oppressed Indigenous peoples in particular have good reason to celebrate. The new constitution recognizes the self-determination of all 36 Indigenous nations of Bolivia. Freedom of religion is protected—a stark contrast with the old constitution, which favored the Catholic Church and discriminated against Indigenous traditions, beliefs and creeds. It further prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, and sexual orientation.
The constitution sets limits on the wealth and power of the Bolivian oligarchy, responsible for the country’s deep social inequalities. All idle lands, as well as all gas, mineral and oil resources, are placed in the hands of the state. The constitution prohibits the privatization of water, which is recognized as a fundamental human right, and enshrines the right to health care and education. The state will provide decent jobs and a decent retirement.
In addition to these gains, the constitution allows re-elections for all elected government offices. Morales may now make a bid to keep the presidency in the December elections and is already favored to win. A second term for Morales could secure critical continuity of the reforms already set in motion.
The struggle ahead
Morales, the first Indigenous president of Bolivia, has challenged more than 450 years of racist governance. The impoverished Bolivian masses, most of them Indigenous peoples, have peacefully followed his lead despite the violent ruling-class backlash. Mass marches of workers, poor farmers and Indigenous peoples have crisscrossed the country calling for equality.
Washington has identified the Morales government as the weakest link in the Cuba-Venezuela-Bolivia alliance—the three countries at the forefront of the leftward shift in Latin America. U.S. State Department operatives have provided critical support to the Bolivian reactionaries bent on derailing Morales’ progressive program.
For the past three years, Morales and his supporters have endured media disinformation campaigns, fascist attacks and death threats. Their crusade culminated in coordinated attacks in September, aimed at destabilizing the democratically elected government. Dozens of government buildings were destroyed. Fascist forces led by then-governor Leopoldo Fernández Ferreira massacred 16 peasants in Pando, including women and children. Altogether, more than 70 civilians were killed
The overwhelming international condemnation of the violence alienated the right wing and their allies within the U.S. State Department. Latin American leaders came out in support of the Morales government and the democratic constitutional process.
The new constitution guarantees the freedom of the press, but the media must provide responsible and truthful coverage—a measure clearly targeting the right-wing media’s distortions and lies. The installation of foreign military bases on Bolivian soil is prohibited.
Though the new constitution marks an immense step forward, words on paper cannot guarantee change. The opposition is already seeking to overturn the vote, calling for recounts and throwing around accusations of fraud and voter manipulation.
Florisvaldo Rosinha, president of the Southern Common Market Parliament, responded to the right-wing attempt to undermine the democratic vote: “It’s a dangerous opposition, because of their type of behavior, because of their manner of manipulation and disinformation.”
President Morales has called the government—including members of the opposition—to materially implement the constitution immediately. The road ahead will not be an easy one. In order for the electoral victory to bear fruit, the Bolivian masses must remain steadfast in their struggle.
