Just Peace in Bolivia Requires Reconciliation, Not Political Posturing

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns stands in solidarity with Bolivians working nonviolently for reconciliation, dialogue, justice, and democracy in the face of escalating violence and divisions. 

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The current crisis in Bolivia has exposed deep, unhealed wounds born of centuries of colonial violence, exclusion, and racism. For over 75 years, Maryknoll missioners have lived and worked in Bolivia to heal these wounds with love and transform them into sources of liberating social justice. We are deeply saddened by the violence and destruction the country has suffered in recent weeks at the hands of both supporters and opponents of ousted president Evo Morales. We stand in solidarity with the majority of Bolivians who have remained nonviolent throughout the conflict, and we share their grave concerns over the escalating violence and divisions that threaten to tear the country apart.

We recognize that Bolivia has made historic advances toward greater equality under the leadership of President Evo Morales, but we also object to his environmentally destructive embrace of extractivism and agro-industrial expansion, and his repression of indigenous groups who have protested his policies. We recognize that most Bolivians opposed Morales’ candidacy for an unprecedented fourth term, and the methods he used to get on the ballot. However, many of those who oppose Morales also share his supporters’ legitimate fears of a power grab by the Bolivian far-right. We are particularly disturbed by the disputed interim government’s displays of religious posturing that denigrate indigenous culture and traditions.

Amid an undeniably complex and fraught situation, we implore the international solidarity community to seek out partners among both protesters and Morales supporters, and encourage efforts at peacebuilding and dialogue. Right-wing forces are eager to take advantage of divisions between those who would otherwise stand together for equity and justice. Reconciliation is urgently needed so that all those in the struggle for indigenous rights and social justice can work together to combat racism and fascism. We ask organizations to refrain from making statements that oversimplify the conflict, denouncing it as a right-wing coup. Such statements risk having the unintended effect of erasing and excluding key voices among the protesters crying out for social justice. They deepen divisions and weaken the ability of Bolivian civil society to stop the rise of right-wing extremism.

We add our voice to the call for Bolivia to hold new, fair elections and restore democracy. We support the dialogue that has already begun between the two sides, facilitated by the Catholic group Fundación Jubileo. The Maryknoll Mission Center in Latin America, located in Cochabamba, has offered its facilities as a space for peacebuilding and further dialogue. We are grateful for the divided neighbors in a La Paz barrio who negotiated their own peace accord and agreed to work together for a better Bolivia. We applaud such efforts, and encourage further action for peace, reconciliation, and the rebuilding of democracy with justice for all Bolivians.