translated from Spanish: [VIDEO] Evo bets on former Economy Minister Luis Arce as presidential candidate

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales elected former Economy Minister Luis Arce Catacora as his party’s presidential candidate for the elections on May 3. Meanwhile, former aymara-born chancellor David Choquehuanca will be the vice presidential candidate. This is a new formula, and not the one that two days ago the supporters of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) in Bolivia, who had appointed Choquehuanca and the Cocalero leader Andrónico Rodríguez.” We have chosen as candidate vice president David Choquehuanca” taking into account the decision of the colleagues, Morales said in a hotel in downtown Buenos Aires, where he is sheltered. He explained that Rodriguez was not elected on this occasion in order to guarantee the unity of the party, which in recent months was divided after the resignation of the former ruler on 10 November. The decision was not well received in Bolivia, because Choquehuanca had received support from seven of the nine regions.” We don’t agree, it’s going to cause us problems and there’s really a lot of concern because this decision instead of uniting is going to bring division,” MAS senator Omar Aguilar told The Associated Press. it’s a betrayal of the unity pact we had agreed to.” Morales bet on Arce, 56, which was a fundamental pillar for the national economy during Morales’ three terms. The former minister is an economist by profession with a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Warwick in England. He walked away from office for health problems, but in 2018 he returned.” Partner Arce guarantees the national economy… With this pairing on May 3we’re going to win on the first lap,” Morales said, While 58-year-old Choquehuanca is the indigenous face of his party. Like Morales is Aymara and led Bolivia’s diplomatic work for 11 years.” With this we all have to be united for the good of Bolivia,” he added. Morales, who ruled Bolivia for nearly 14 years, resigned from the presidency last November, when the police and army withdrew his support after several weeks of demonstrations over allegations of fraud in the October 20 election, in which a Organization of American States (OAS) found serious irregularities in the vote count. Jeanine Añez assumed the presidency after Morales left the country and went to Mexico, claiming that he was the victim of a coup d’état.

Original source in Spanish