El Alto (Bolivia), Aug 14 (AP) – Former leftist president Evo Morales, barred from appearing on this Sunday's ballot, has embarked on an unusual campaign promoting a candidate without a name, face, or formal platform. This contender is simply known as "Nulo," the Spanish term for a null-and-void vote.
Nulo has found a stable foundation in Bolivia, where voting is mandatory. Over the years, many voters disillusioned with Morales' attempts to extend his presidency to three consecutive terms expressed their dissent by defacing or leaving their ballots blank.
With Morales disqualified from the race and distancing himself from the unpopular President Luis Arce, he has become the main advocate for Nulo. "Brothers, we are on the right track. Absenteeism, blank ballots, undecided voters, all of it," Morales declared on Radio Kawsachun Coca, his media outlet based in Chapare, a region where he has taken refuge among loyal coca-growing labor unions.
If Moreno leaves this stronghold, he faces the threat of arrest over statutory rape charges, which he denies. "Nulo is where we belong," he proclaimed, urging voters to vandalize their ballots. Under Bolivian law, Nulo cannot win the elections or prompt a re-election. Spoiled and blank ballots are removed from the final count, meaning a surge by Nulo would inadvertently boost all candidates without affecting vote distribution.
Morales is betting that significant support for Nulo would embarrass right-wing front-runners like former President Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga and businessman Samuel Doria Medina. This strategy aims to undermine the credibility of the election and extend Morales' political influence.
Political analyst Carlos Saavedra noted, "Evo wants to be in the election and say, 'This is my vote... I'm the winner without even having participated.'" Morales' focus on Nulo follows his attempts to remain in power, including rewriting the Constitution and influencing the courts to allow a third term in 2014. His subsequent bid in 2019 led to protests, his resignation, and exile.
Currently, with ally-turned-rival Arce in control, Morales finds himself isolated from most legal avenues. The Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party, once united under his leadership, has fragmented. Senate President Andronico Rodriguez, a candidate with ties to Morales through his coca-farming union activism, is MAS' best hope, but support for him is waning amid economic turbulence.
Morales' supporters, feeling disenchanted with both ends of the political spectrum, have embraced the Nulo strategy. Wendy Chipana, a 28-year-old volunteer in El Alto, questions Rodriguez's loyalty to Morales, stating, "We have one candidate, Evo Morales. That's why we're deciding not to cast a single valid vote."
In June, Morales' disqualified candidacy prompted protests, but he later urged supporters to let their frustrations be seen in the ballot box. With days to the election, some disenfranchised voters, unsatisfied with other candidates, are considering Nulo.
Chipana distributes Morales face decals for voters to use on their ballots. Others plan to make their statement using an X, coca leaves, or even drawings of Morales' face. Diana Mamani, disenchanted with candidates from both sides, said, "I'm done with Evo, but I have no information about these other candidates."
Morales, despite his controversies, remains Bolivia's first Indigenous president, and for some, a symbolically powerful figure. Cristina Sonco, drawn to his leadership's advancements for Indigenous rights and infrastructure, still feels a strong connection to him and his legacy.
The elections echo an historical cycle, with Bolivia facing economic strain, sparking memories of the situation Morales addressed when he first took office in 2005. Analysts suggest that Morales' push for Nulo might strategically benefit from a right-wing victory, allowing him to confront neoliberal policies once more, a context he is more accustomed to.
Aymara author Quya Reyna commented on Morales' comfort in confronting such administrations, adding social legitimacy to his enduring influence, regardless of his formal political position. (AP)
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