Don’t mess up Bolivia’s miracle

ON OCTOBER 18TH, the owner of a guesthouse on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca walked for an hour on a dusty path past Inca ruins to vote in a re-run of Bolivia’s election. He was worried. Last year’s contest had sparked a year of protests, driving up food prices and keeping tourists away. This time, polls predicted a runoff between Luis Arce, the candidate of the Movement to Socialism (MAS), which held power for 14 years until last November, and Carlos Mesa, a centrist former president. “I don’t care who wins,” said Óscar, the hotelier. “I’m worried about what happens after.”

Most Bolivians shared his fears that violence would break out, especially if a candidate lost narrowly and challenged the result. In fact, Mr Arce won by a landslide. With 93% of tally sheets counted, he got 54% of votes, 25 points more than Mr Mesa, who quickly conceded. Anti-MAS voters gathered in a few cities to denounce “electoral fraud” but dispersed. Peace, if it holds, would be “a little miracle”, says a diplomat. 

Also miraculous is the MAS’s comeback. Evo Morales, its founder and, from 2006, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, was popular for years. The government spent money from gas exports to reduce by two-thirds the number of people living on less than $1.90 a day. On Isla del Sol Aymara entrepreneurs took advantage of an...

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