The president’s surprising departure will not by itself end civil strife
, two days after Evo Morales abruptly quit as Bolivia’s president, a tense calm had settled on La Paz, the administrative capital. The streets were deserted. Buses and cable cars were idle. Most residents stayed indoors. The army was in control of the streets. But the lull did not last. On the following day violence broke out again in several regions, including La Paz. At least ten people have died in unrest leading up to and following Mr Morales’s decision to step down.
But as it became clear that Mr Morales intended to remain president, with almost unchallenged power, perhaps for life, Bolivians balked. In a referendum in 2016 they rebuffed his bid to run again for re-election in defiance of the constitution he had introduced. The constitutional court, which was by then an appendage of the presidency, said he could run anyway.
Mr Morales tried to restore calm, first by inviting the Organisation of American States to audit the election results. Then, when theteam reported evidence of fraud, he promised new elections. That did not placate protesters. Police said they would no longer obey their commanders’ orders. On November 10th Williams Kaliman, the commander of the armed forces, suggested that Mr Morales step down so that “peace can be restored and stability maintained”.
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