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BRASILIA – After completing the scrutiny of Bolivia’s presidential elections, the Brazilian government this Friday greeted the winner of the elections, Luis Arce, who had the support of former President Evo Morales. Although the result was only confirmed on Friday, several countries had already recognized Arce’s victory on the day of the vote or the next day. Brazil was the last of Bolivia’s neighboring countries to congratulate Arce.
The attitude contrasts with that of last year, when the government of President Jair Bolsonaro was the first to recognize interim President Jeanine Áñez, shortly after Morales’ resignation under military pressure. In this year’s elections, the Brazilian government promoted the construction of an opposition front to the Movement for Socialism (MAS), the party of Arce and Morales, but the strategy did not work.
Supporters of the Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS) celebrate after knowing the official result of the general elections in La Paz on October 23, 2020. – The electoral court of Bolivia published the official results of the presidential elections last weekend, confirming the overwhelming victory. of the Bolivian leftist presidential candidate Luis Arce. With all the votes counted, Arce finished with 55% of the votes, which means that he won without the need for a second round. Photo: LUIS GANDARILLAS / AFP
In the message released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the Brazilian government “salutes the Bolivian people and government for carrying out the electoral process in a climate of tranquility and harmony” and praises the “democratic and constructive attitude of the government of the President Jeanine Áñez “.
The text also emphasizes the importance of the presence of international observers in the election, “whose scrutiny helped guarantee the legitimacy and transparency of the election and enforce the sovereign desire of the Bolivian people in the election of their leaders.” The excerpt refers to unsubstantiated fraud charges that led to Morales’ resignation.
“The Brazilian government affirms its willingness to work with the new Bolivian authorities with a view to implementing initiatives of common interest and within the framework of the ties of friendship, neighborhood and cooperation that unite the two countries and their peoples,” the note concludes.
