Morales, Evo (1959–)

Juan Evo Morales Ayma is the 80th president of the Republic of Bolivia. He began his political career as a union leader of the cocalero, the coca crop peasants. As soon as the ethnic-indigenous political movements in Bolivia started to gain political weight, he extended his political rhetoric including indigenous demands and issues. As leader of the still-young MAS (Movimiento al Socialismo—Movement Toward Socialism), he was elected member of the Bolivian Parliament in 2002 and president of Bolivia in the elections of December 2005.

Evo Morales has a very intuitive understanding of media. Of modest origin and never having studied anything related to communications, he nevertheless was able to use the media for his political purposes in a tactically very smart way throughout his political career. Since elected president, Morales is, of course, much more limited in using these tactic. Interestingly enough, Morales showed himself to be open to professional counsel during the presidential election campaign of 2005: His campaign was obviously conducted in a very professional manner, stressing his strengths—his down-to-earth ways, his accessibility and charisma. At the same time, he avoided appearing in candidate debates, probably knowing that he wouldn't be able to compete with the much more elaborate rhetoric of his middle- and upper-class opponents. His campaign was able to identify his person with a climate of [Page 470]much-wanted political change among many Bolivians. The results of the elections were distinct: 53.4% of electors voted Evo Morales for president. In the first 6 months of his administration and in a strongly emotional atmosphere of political optimism, Morales and the media lived in a kind of “honeymoon.” Few skeptical voices were heard or lines were read, even reaching embarrassing moments of a cult of personality when describing Morales's humble origins. It is no secret that he was strongly supported in his communication work, particularly by Venezuela. The Venezuelan state-owned oil company PdVSA broadcast several TV commercials in Bolivia highlighting the Cuban and Venezuelan literacy and medical care programs being carried out on Bolivian soil.

Morales's authoritarian ways first were exposed to the media, when voices critical of his administration and his offensive style appeared. He immediately suspected the media of wanting to overthrow his administration. Morales's very rudimental understanding of freedom of the press became more obvious when he was appointing executive positions to state media. But possibly the most overt attempt to dominate the media landscape in Bolivia is the project of creating 30 “indigenous” radio stations, financed by the Venezuelan government. This project seeks to cut down the strong influence of radio broadcast channels of the Catholic Church in the country. The real challenge to freedom of the press in Bolivia is currently being faced in Sucre, in which a constitutional assembly is meeting to work out a new Constitution. This assembly is largely dominated by the MAS, and few of these are known to respect basic civil liberties. Taking into account that Morales has difficulties in understanding the role of media in a democracy, the current situation is not a very good one for the Bolivian media or freedom of press in the country.

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