Pro-Morales lawmakers carried out actions that prevented the start of the legislative session. On Friday, President Luis Arce was unable to deliver his fourth annual report in the Bolivian parliament because legislators allied with former President Evo Morales violently disrupted the legislative session.

Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca, who also presides over the Legislative Assembly, was about to begin the parliamentary session when a group of legislators from the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) approached the main stage.

Pro-Morales legislators destroyed a floral arrangement placed in front of the stage and threw tomatoes and water at Choquehuanca, while his security team tried to shield him with a jacket.

The Bolivian vice president eventually left the venue, and the session could not be convened. A few minutes later, President Arce responded to the events on social media.

The text reads, “The legislators of the Evista wing were involved in an embarrassing situation when they began to cause damage to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly and threw flowers, water and tomatoes at Vice President David Choquehuanca.”

“Unfortunately, today we witnessed yet another act of vandalism led by the Evista bloc in the Legislative Assembly. Once again, through its actions, the Evismo shows that it has no willingness for dialogue or to abandon its violent attitudes, which are causing so much harm to our country. We condemn the attacks on David Choquehuanca, the Vice President of the Republic and President of the Legislative Assembly; Omar Yujra, the president of the Chamber of Deputies; and the representatives and senators who were once again attacked by the Evismo,” Arce said.

“What we saw will go down in history as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the Legislative Assembly, led by the Evista bloc. We want to tell the world that what we saw is not who we Bolivians are, nor does it represent popular sentiment. What the world witnessed was a group of Evo Morales followers who continue to harm our homeland to impose an unconstitutional candidacy and to seek impunity in their legal processes,” he emphasized.

“We apologize to the Bolivian people and the international community for the shameful events today in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly,” President Arce concluded. On Friday, following the events that took place in the Legislative Assembly, President Arce delivered his report to the nation from a platform raised in Murillo Plaza.

Bolivian President Luis Arce celebrated his fourth anniversary in power, highlighting achievements in foreign policy and industrialization of lithium, while facing internal divisions in the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) and criticism from his predecessor, Evo Morales.

Upon completing four years as president of Bolivia, Luis Arce highlighted in his message to the country the admission of Bolivia into the BRICS as one of the greatest achievements of his foreign policy. However, the celebrations also highlighted the political tensions that run through the government, with an open confrontation between Arce and former president Evo Morales, who launched strong criticism of the current government.

During his speech from the historic Murillo Plaza, Arce stressed the importance of Bolivia’s recent incorporation into the BRICS group, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Bolivia enters as an associated state, a condition that the president valued as a fundamental step to position the country in the international arena.

“It is without a doubt the most important achievement of our diplomacy, since it places us on the world stage,” said Arce. This advance in foreign policy was consolidated after the meeting he held in October with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the BRICS summit in Kazan, where both leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation projects and agreed on Bolivia’s entry into the bloc.

Regarding economic achievements, Arce highlighted the boost given to the industrialization of lithium, one of Bolivia’s most valuable resources, and the reactivation of oil exploitation. In his message, he urged the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) to approve the external credits and contracts necessary to develop this strategic industry. These projects, the president stressed, are fundamental for the Bolivian economy and, in his opinion, will open new opportunities for development in the coming years.

Arce, who was Minister of Economy during the Morales administration, also highlighted the efforts of his government to stabilize the country’s economy despite the difficulties. In this regard, he said that Bolivia has faced obstacles in its economic growth, including a 24-day period of blockades organized by sectors related to Morales.

However, the Bolivian president assured that economic recovery and social stability are priorities of his administration for the coming years. Despite these advances, the fourth anniversary of Arce’s mandate also highlighted the growing division within the Movement for Socialism (MAS).

During the session of the Legislative Assembly called to commemorate this day, Vice President David Choquehuanca was received with tomatoes and shouts by legislators related to Evo Morales, who blocked access to the legislative headquarters and prevented the vice president from speaking and the president’s speech in Congress.

This incident led Arce to take his message to Murillo Square. In his speech, Arce condemned the acts of vandalism and accused the “Evo” bloc of not having the will to dialogue. “We condemn the attacks on the vice president. What we have witnessed is one of the most shameful chapters of the Bolivian Legislative Assembly,” said the president.

For his part, and through a message published on his social networks, former president Morales launched strong accusations against the Arce government, which he described as a betrayal of the founding principles of the MAS.

Morales stated that the current president “was committed to raising the economy and sank it,” and accused him of acting in an “authoritarian and repressive” manner.

He also pointed out that the Arce government has divided and privileged certain leaders of social movements to consolidate its position. For Morales, the Arce administration is neoliberal in economic terms, anti-popular in social terms, and focuses on “outlawing the MAS and disqualifying Evo.”

Amid these tensions, Arce began his fifth year of government with a ceremony in honor of Pachamama, accompanied by national authorities and Vice President Choquehuanca. In a message of optimism, the president assured that “better days are coming for the Bolivian people” and reaffirmed his commitment to continue working on projects that promote the development of the country.