Against all odds, MAS wins with 55% of the vote and 99% of votes counted. This is better than even Evo did in 2005 with 53.75% support. It gives Arce one of the biggest mandates in Bolivian history, & is in part a major endorsement of MAS policies and 14 years in power. (Thread)

The past year was marked by Áñez government's repression, massacres, and persecution against MAS supporters, allies and anti-coup protesters. The MAS victory is a rejection of the racist coup government. Áñez pushed the MAS down, but the party rose up and won.

The movements that defended democracy over this past year brought Bolivia to this historic moment. For weeks in August, massive road blockade protests successfully pressured authorities to hold elections after months of delays.

MAS will enter govt next month. How much will party leadership change? How will they address critiques from the left? What will Evo's role be? Will the right accept political defeat in govt & streets? That these questions will be answered w/ MAS in power makes all the difference.

The MAS has overcome incredible challenges this year and will now have to navigate the pandemic, rising fascism, and an economic downturn. They now have a mandate to carry out this work on behalf of all Bolivians, not just the oligarchy who were just defeated at the ballot box.

I expanded this thread into a longer article for Roar Magazine: Ballots Defeat Bullets, What's Next for Bolivia? https://roarmag.org/essays/challenges-ahead-after-historic-mas-victory-in-bolivia/