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A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 8 OcTOber 2019
Evo Morales not trending among Bolivia's youth ahead of vote

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A Opponents say a decree
series of memes that have issued by Morales' adminis-
gone viral in Bolivia show tration in July allowing some
President Evo Morales com- controlled burns for agricul-
batting raging forest fires tural purposes contributed
with a toy water gun or a to the environmental disas-
flamethrower, while oth- ter. The government denies
ers superimpose his image the forest fires were caused
on the original cast of the by the decree, saying farm-
"Ghostbusters" film. ers have cleared land with
Many young Bolivians burns for years and most
have used the memes to are still done illegally.
poke fun at South Ameri- In Morales' 14 years in of-
ca's longest-serving leftist fice, poverty has dropped
leader and what they say in South America's poorest
was his delayed response country and the president
to thousands of forest fires still maintains a broad base
they blame on his push to of support, even among
develop areas with slash- the young.
and-burn agriculture. As "To me, (his re-election)
the blazes raged, Morales would be good for our Bo-
appeared in televised im- livia," said Aldair Hermoso,
ages personally battling In this Aug. 27, 2019 file photo courtesy of Bolivia's Communication Ministry press office, Bolivian an 18-year-old who re-
flames with a water-filled President Evo Morales sprays water on a fire burning on the outskirts of Robore, Bolivia. cently quit school to pursue
backpack and nozzle. Associated Press his dream of becoming a
Supporters of Bolivia's first professional soccer player.
indigenous president say be mourning so much loss ment, which have become have been in dry forests, "Evo Morales will be a good
that showed the lengths to or the death of so many top issues ahead of the prairies and farmland in the president."
which he will go to protect animals. ... I'm reconsider- election. southeastern Chiquitania But this support has dimin-
the country's forests, but ing my vote," said Rolando Young Bolivians have been region in Santa Cruz prov- ished following corrup-
many young people don't Condori, 26, a chef at a res- outraged by fires that ince, although some af- tion scandals, allegations
buy it. And with young taurant in the city of El Alto. consumed an estimated fected the country's Ama- about manipulation of the
voters making up about a Condori said he has cast 4 million hectares (15,440 zon region. justice system and his insis-
third of Bolivia's electorate, ballots for the 59-year-old square miles) in the past "Before the fires, Morales tence on running for yet
they could determine the Morales since he became two months, blazes that had his triumph assured," another term.
Oct. 20 election in which eligible to vote at age 18. flew partly under the radar said Marcelo Carpio of Opinion polls, which say
Morales is seeking a fourth But now he is listening to as world attention focused the network of Leaders for many young voters are un-
term. other candidates to see on fires in neighboring Bra- Democracy and Develop- decided, point to a com-
"If the president would have who can provide jobs and zil's Amazon. ment, a political science petitive election, and the
acted before, we wouldn't take care of the environ- Most of the fires in Bolivia school. possibility of a runoff vote.q

Student leader who confronted Ortega returns to Nicaragua

ile in the United States. The government accuses "They delayed in stamp-
Lesther Alemán, 21, arrived the opposition of attempt- ing my passport and asked
on a flight from Miami and ing a "failed coup d'etat." me (where was) the exit
was met at Managua's in- Alemán was a fourth-year stamp," he added, without
ternational airport by other journalism student when giving details on how he
student leaders and oppo- the unrest began and be- left Nicaragua last year.
sition figures. came well-known after he "Nothing is normal" in Nica-
Alemán told journalists he urged Ortega to resign dur- ragua," Alemán said. Oth-
is running a "very high risk" ing the nationally televised erwise, "those would come
by returning, but that won't talks in May 2018. to greet me would be my
stop him. "This is not a table of dia- parents and I would take a
"The decision has been to- logue. This is a table to ne- taxi to my house, but I can't
tally personal and I am not gotiate your exit and you do that."
encouraging anybody to know it well," he told the He vowed to continue
return," he said, "because president. "Give up!" "fighting for justice and de-
the repression in the coun- After several months hiding mocracy" and urged the
try continues." in safe houses, Alemán said government to resume ne-
In this May 16, 2018 file photo, student representative Lesther Anti-government protests in September 2018 that po- gotiations with the opposi-
Aleman interrupts Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, shout-
ing that he must halt the repression, during the opening of the erupted in April 2018 and lice were seeking to arrest tion.
national dialogue on the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua. were met with a tough him and fled across the Other exiled opposition fig-
Associated Press crackdown by security southern border into Costa ures have returned to Nica-
forces and armed, allied Rica. ragua in recent weeks, two
By GABRIELA SELSER Daniel Ortega in the first, civilian groups. The Inter- He said he was able to re- of whom then alleged they
Associated Press failed talks on solving the American Commission on enter Nicaragua on Mon- were being followed and
MANAGUA, Nicaragua country's political stand- Human Rights says 328 peo- day without restriction, harassed by paramilitaries.
(AP) — A Nicaraguan off returned to the Central ple were killed, hundreds though immigration offi- Ortega officials have re-
university student leader American country Monday arrested and at least 70,000 cials asked him some ques- peatedly said they consid-
who confronted President after spending a year in ex- fled into exile. tions. er protesters "terrorists."q