Page 11 - ATD20Febr2016
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WORLD NEWS A11
Saturday 20 February 2016
Scandal emerges as Bolivia president seeks fourth term
CARLOS VALDEZ A photo later emerged Bolivia’s President Evo Morales speaks during the the “Yes” ardo Gamarra, a political
Associated Press of Morales with his arm closing campaign rally, in El Alto, Bolivia, Wednesday, Feb. 17, scientist at Florida Interna-
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — around Zapata at Carnival 2016. Bolivians go to the polls Sunday to vote on a referendum, tional University.
President Evo Morales in Oruro last year. Morales that if approved, would allow Morales to run for a fourth con- The political opposition and
had seemed exempt from said it was coincidence, secutive term. media were suffocated,
the scandal that has be- saying people approach just like his late ally Hugo
smirched much of South him all the time for such (AP Photo/Juan Karita) Chavez did in Venezuela,
America’s left, but an al- photos. Another photo cir- But unlike Venezuela,
leged influence-peddling culating shows Zapata’s materials soared just as a Chinese-built satellite into whose leftist leaders are
affair involving a woman neocolonial mansion in an he took office, construct- space. now on the ropes after the
who bore him a child elite southern La Paz en- ing airports, highways and “Market-based democ- opposition won control of
comes at the most inop- clave. the pride of La Paz, an racy and an authoritarian the National Assembly in
portune of moments. A bachelor, Morales has Austrian-built aerial tram- political model were key to December, Morales kept
Bolivians decide in a vote two children with two other way system, while putting his government,” said Edu- confiscations of land and
Sunday whether he can women and has generally private companies to a
run for a fourth term. succeeded in keeping his minimum.
Morales pulverized the op- private life out of the head- Bolivia’s revenues from
position in the early years lines. In 2013, Zapata be- natural gas and minerals,
of his decade-long presi- came general manager for which account for three-
dency and cut poverty as Bolivia of China CAMC En- fourths of its exports, were
he empowered Bolivia’s gineering Co. Ltd., whose down 32 percent last year.
long-downtrodden native contracts with the state in- Economists say Morales
majority. In 2014, he won clude one signed last year wasted the opportunity to
re-election with 60 percent for a $177 million fertilizer diversify, leaning on extrac-
of the vote. plant. All but one of the tive industries to pay for
But the Andean nation’s contracts were no-bid. populist programs.
first indigenous president Zapata, 29, has denied she
faces the growing pros- got the job due to govern-
pect that his current term ment influence.
will be his last. If an isolated case, the
Polls indicate voters are scandal might not weigh
about evenly split — with on Sunday’s vote.
some 15 percent undecid- But there have been plenty
ed — on Sunday’s referen- of others — though never
dum on whether to amend before involving Morales
the constitution so Morales directly.
can run in 2019 for a fourth The most damaging scan-
consecutive term. dal involves accusations
The potential spoiler for that officials have skimmed
Morales is a revelation this millions from the govern-
month by an opposition- ment-managed Fondo In-
aligned journalist that an digena, which supports ag-
ex-lover secured a top job ricultural and public works
with a Chinese construc- in the countryside. None of
tion company that has ob- the 70 people under inves-
tained nearly $500 million in tigation, however, are se-
contracts with the state. nior officials from the gov-
The allegations are com- erning Movement Toward
pounded by tragedy: The Socialism movement.
woman, Gabriela Zapata, “It’s not just any old accu-
gave birth in 2007 to a child sation. Combined with oth-
sired by Morales. The infant ers it’s the worst blow yet
died but neither the presi- to Morales’ image of incor-
dent nor his ex-girlfriend will ruptibility and will impact
explain the circumstances. the vote,” said Carlos Cor-
“I never saw her again. dero, a political scientist at
I did not know that she the Universidad Mayor de
worked in that company,” San Andres.
the 56-year-old Morales Morales presided over Bo-
said on TV after this month’s livia’s biggest economic
bombshell revelation. boom as prices for raw
