By Cecilia Lanza, El Deber: Does it sound familiar? Imagine how familiar it sounds to me, living in Cochabamba. “Steals, but gets things done” is not just cynicism: it is a moral transaction that involves all of us. Plain and simple: “I accept corruption if I get something in return.” From a public work that…
Tag: democracy in peril
Usual Political Customs in Bolivia | Costumbres políticas usuales en Bolivia
By Carlos Toranzo, Brujula Digital: Racism has been one of the political customs that has run throughout the entirety of Bolivian history, joining the centuries-old discrimination of indigenous and popular sectors by oligarchies or aristocracies. If more than a century ago aristocracies discriminated against Indians, in the 21st century urban popular sectors and popular mestizos…
The political party is not a taxi | El partido político no es un taxi
By Johnny Nogales, El Dia: In La Paz, the election for governor has turned into an open controversy. Those who question the Electoral Tribunal’s decision not to proceed with a runoff face those who defend it. In that scenario, it is worth pausing to examine the underlying problem. The objection now raised to the NGP…
Digital attacks surge against women candidates | Aumentan ataques digitales contra candidatas
By Freddy Lacio, El Deber: Detected 665 harassment posts targeting 17 female candidates A report by the Gender Observatory of the Coordinadora de la Mujer warns that digital political violence against women not only persists, but is intensifying. A total of 665 posts containing harassment and digital political violence were directed at 17 candidates participating…
Prisoners and Abandoned | Presos y abandonados
By Humberto Vacaflor, El Dia: The political prisoners left behind by the MAS number a thousand and they remain imprisoned under the new government, forgotten even by the media. In Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez approved a partial amnesty to free half of the prisoners of Chavismo, and is now preparing an unrestricted amnesty. But in Bolivia…
The Convenient MAS Legacy | La conveniente herencia masista
Editorial, El Dia: A phrase often attributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt—probably one he never actually said—referred to the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza: “Yes, he’s a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch.” The phrase endured not because of its authenticity, but because of the moral truth it conveys: power often tolerates what it…
Bolivian Thoughts | Pensamientos Bolivianos (Bilingual/Bilingüe) 