A group of leaders and activists of the Movement to Socialism (BUT), related to the president of Bolivia, Luis Arceannounced this Thursday that he will take over the national headquarters of the party, following the decision of the Constitutional Court that disavows the former president Evo Morales as leader of BUT and recognize Grover Garcia as president of the formation.
The sentence, which validates the congress of BUT celebrated in The Highwhere García was chosen as successor to Arcecancels the parallel congress organized by Morales in the town of Lauca Eñe in which the latter sought to confirm himself at the head of the party.
Gathered in the square Murillo of La Pazfollowers of Arce They celebrated the ruling of the Constitutional Courtinterpreting the sentence as a return of the BUT to social organizations.
”It is fair that the Movement towards Socialism returns to its true owners, to the social organizations. “We have complied with all the standards of our statute and internal regulations,” he declared. Vidal Gomezleader of the Trade Union Confederation of Intercultural Communities Originating from Bolivia.
Gómez assured that it is now appropriate “take over the offices of the national leadership of the MAS” and called for the “unity of the Bolivian people, the militants, the sympathizers.”
In addition to the claim for the headquarters of the BUTthe group related to Arce asked Morales to return to the party a sum of 10 million bolivianos (1.36 million euros) that, according to movement leaders, the former president would have extracted from the funds of the BUT to finance blockades and activities in their favor.
The Bolivian chain Unitel reported that this demand was supported by several of the main Arcist leaders.
For their part, the followers of Moralesrejected the sentence and questioned its legitimacy, accusing the Constitutional Court to act against the indigenous movement and the bases of the BUT.
Renan Cabezasa deputy from the “evism” wing, described the judicial decision as “a second blow to the indigenous movement and deep Bolivia”. Cabezas accused the government of Arce of trying to “steal the acronym of the BUT” and representing a “corrupt leadership” that, in his opinion, deviated from the original principles of the movement.
In line with these criticisms, the former president Morales described the sentence as “unconstitutional, illegal and illegitimate”, denouncing what he considered an attempt by the Executive to Arce to appropriate the BUT.
“We tell these usurpers, these children of corruption, that they will never be able to erase the history of the skirts and ponchos of the true revolutionaries.”he added headsin reference to the indigenous representation that Evism considers one of the historical pillars of the BUT.
The ruling and the reactions in both factions reflect a growing internal division in the BUTthe party he led Bolivia since 2006 under the initial leadership of Morales and after Arce.
Moraleswho was president for almost 14 years, tries to maintain an influence on the politics of the BUTwhile the administration of Arce He seeks to consolidate his control over the party, distancing himself from the figure of the former president.
The dispute also highlights the change of leadership in the BUTwhere the congress held in The Highwith the support of Arceappointed Grover Garcia as the new leader of the party, leaving out Morales.
This conference was recognized by the Constitutional Courtwhich declared invalid the parallel congress organized by Morales in Cochabamba. The situation reflects the polarization within the BUT and the tensions for control of the party between the factions led by Arce y Morales.
(With information from Europa Press)
