Luis Arce Demands National Unity to Protect Bolivia’s Plurinational State

Bolivian President Luis Arce calls for unity against right-wing threats urging voters to defend progressive gains through ballots rather than street conflicts.

Standing before supporters in La Paz’s Plaza Murillo President Luis Arce made an impassioned plea for national unity framing the upcoming elections as a decisive battle for Bolivia’s future.

He warned that only a united front could prevent the right wing from dismantling two decades of progressive reforms including nationalized industries and resource sovereignty

Arce connected his recent withdrawal from the presidential race directly to this unity imperative stating “I refuse to be a factor that splits the popular vote or enables a fascist-leaning right-wing project”.

His speech alternated between revolutionary rhetoric and practical electoral strategy emphasizing that past victories against coups and economic sabotage were only achieved through mass coordination between the government social movements and grassroots organizations

The president painted a stark picture of the opposition’s alleged plans accusing them of seeking to privatize public enterprises increase poverty and give away Bolivia’s natural resources “When we’ve defeated the right”.

Arce reminded the crowd “it’s always been through unity” He called for alignment across all sectors particularly urging loyalty to the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party while still acknowledging the importance of street mobilization when necessary.

Arce’s address came at a delicate political moment following his public break with former president Evo Morales By positioning himself as putting country above personal ambition he sought to rally the base while leaving the door open for protests should electoral politics fail.

The speech repeatedly returned to core MAS achievements particularly industrialization as he stated “What’s engraved in every Bolivian’s mind is our mission to transform this nation’s economy”

With political tensions escalating and the opposition gaining momentum Arce’s message attempted to bridge the gap between revolutionary ideals and pragmatic coalition-building.

The coming months will test whether this call for unity can overcome both external threats and internal divisions within Bolivia’s left