Electoral controversy paralyses Bolivia
Demonstrations turn violent as president Evo Morales inches to disputed victory
Protests have erupted across several of Bolivia’s major cities following a verdict from the supreme electoral tribune (TSE) that President Evo Morales won the country’s national election and a record fourth consecutive term in office. Anger and confusion among supporters of leading opposition candidate Carlos Mesa boiled over as an early poll, accounting for 84pc of the vote, indicated that the two nominees were heading for a run-off on 15 December. Initial figures showed Morales with 42.3pc of the vote versus 41.7pc for Mesa. The TSE then unexpectedly suspended coverage of the election for around 24 hours. With 95pc of the ballot calculated, the electoral body revealed that the result
Also in this section
13 April 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis highlights sharp shift from crude oversupply to market deficit, with Iraq and Kuwait badly affected and key producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE also seeing output sharply lower
13 April 2026
Turkmenistan is moving ahead with a modest expansion of the giant Galkynysh field to sustain gas deliveries abroad, but persistent delays to other key pipeline projects and geopolitical risks continue to constrain its export ambitions
13 April 2026
Expensive electricity has forced out swathes of energy-intensive industry and now threatens the country’s ability to attract future investment in datacentres and the digital economy
13 April 2026
For GCC producers, the ceasefire may prove more destabilising than the war itself: exports remain constrained, and control over Hormuz has shifted in ways that could endure
