Bolivian President Jumps On Merkel’s Victory to Push For His Own, Unconstitutional Reelection Bid

EspañolBolivian President Evo Morales congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her re-election for the fourth straight term, with obvious allusions to his own attempts to find a way to run again.

“Sincere congratulations to the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, democratically reelected for the fourth consecutive time by its sovereign people,” Morales wrote on Twitter. “People are wise, re-election guarantees continuity of projects in the medium and long-term for Germany.”

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Pueblos son sabios, reelección garantiza continuidad de proyectos a mediano y largo plazo. Alemania, referencia de desarrollo en el mundo.

— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) September 25, 2017

Morales was obviously taking advantage of the re-election of the Merkel’s win to allude to the possibility of his own reelection amid national debate over whether the constitution is correct in limiting presidents to two terms. His party, Movement to Socialism, has come up with four separate legal paths to the presidency. Currently, it is making use of a lawsuit in the country’s Constitutional Court that claims a two-term limit violates the right of all citizens to be elected without obstacles.

Bolivia’s opposition has said that the case could lead the country down a similar road that Venezuela traveled. Its socialist brother to the north has fallen into economic and political crisis of historic measure, with waves of people fleeing the country from food shortage and violence.

Morales was denounced before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States by former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, for attempting to “install a dictatorship” in the country similar to Nicolás Maduro’s.

“It can’t be called anything other than a coup,” he said at the time. “Trying to declare the constitution unconstitutional just so that Evo Morales will remain in power.”

• Read More: Evo Morales Blames Oil Prices for Economic Crisis in Bolivia
• Read More: Bolivia: Evo Morales Lambasts Trump for Increasing Military Budget

Morales began his first term in 2006, the second in 2010 and won a third term in 2015 after his new candidacy was endorsed through a claim that Bolivia was “re-founded” in 2009. If he ran for office in 2019 and won, Morales would rule until 2025.

Sources: El Deber, Eju!, Los Tiempos.