Another day, another coup in Bolivia – all par for the course in a country which has seen 190 insurrections since independence in 1825, 38 of those since 1945. This one was unusual happening in broad daylight with President Arce making no attempt to seek cover. Instead, he faced down the coup leader while the television cameras rolled, fuelling suspicion that it was a put up job to shore up his own power and rally the people behind him.
Bolivia has deep economic and political problems with leftist Arce, caught in an internal power struggle with his former mentor and former president, Evo Morales, who has declared he plans to stand for the presidency again next year. Arce controls the state apparatus while Morales controls the ruling party, causing political deadlock. Inflation and unemployment are rising, the central bank’s dollar reserves are running low and fuel shortages are widespread.
Bolivia, 6 August 1825, has a flamboyant Leo Sun and Jupiter in Leo with an excitable Mars in Cancer. Though what drives its erratic political history is probably a can-be-fanatical Neptune Uranus in Capricorn square Pluto in Aries. There could be violence marking the 2025 election with the Solar Arc Mars opposition the Sun; with uncertainty in 2026 as the SA Saturn is conjunct the Bolivia Neptune at the same time as tr Neptune Saturn in Aries are conjunct the Bolivia Pluto.
Luis Arce, 28 September 1963, is a Sun and Venus in Libra with two yods of Saturn in Aquarius sextile Jupiter inconjunct Pluto Mercury; and Jupiter inconjunct Pluto sextile Mars Neptune in Scorpio = power and ego problems. He’s running into catastrophe zone later this year with SA Pluto conjunct his Neptune, which won’t improve through 2026/27 as tr Neptune Saturn in Aries oppose his Sun plus plus.
Evo Morales, 26 October 1959, looks no more successful ahead with tr Pluto square his Scorpio Sun, Mars, Neptune from this year on in a devastating run till 2029 – though he will make an impulsive push with tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter and square his Pluto in 2027/28.
My family were in Bolivia a few weeks ago for a visit, and left just a few days ahead of the general strike protesting Arce’s economic policies and the lack of dollars. Bolivia is a beautiful, unusual, almost surreal place, with a fascinating culture, a lot of natural beauty, and wonderful people; they deserve better leaders.
Most Bolivians are used to political machinations and unrest, and tend to shrug them off. We called friends there the other day when the news broke, because we were concerned for their safety; “Oh,” we were told, “don’t worry; it wasn’t a really BIG *golpe* (coup)–it was just a *golpecito*.”
I wonder what is the outlook for former president Carlos Mesa of the Frente Revolucionario de Izquierda, Arce and Evo’s chief opposition?