Against a backdrop of provocations launched by the fascist-leaning opposition in the southeastern province of Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s new President Luis Arce and his Vice President David Choquehuanca, of the MAS party founded by Evo Morales, will be inaugurated tomorrow morning, Nov. 8. Among foreign dignitaries attending are several Ibero-American presidents, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Zarif, Felipe VI, King of Spain, and a delegation from the U.S., led by Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs Brent McIntosh, plus an official from the State Department and the National Security Council.
This past week, charging that Arce’s landslide victory on Oct. 18 was fraudulent, the Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee, made up of hard-core fascists and separatists, held a 24-hour strike, which included blockading highways and other violent protests. Similar actions took place in Cochabamba, La Paz and four other cities, although these were less numerous than the Santa Cruz one. A dynamite attack also occurred earlier this week at a MAS office in La Paz where Arce was speaking, but he was fortunately not hurt.
