Bolivia President Arce Withdraws, Calls Left Unity Ahead August Vote

Bolivian President Luis Arce announced he will not seek reelection in the August 17 presidential election to avoid splitting the left-wing vote and to prevent a right-wing victory. He challenged former President Evo Morales, who is constitutionally barred from running, to also withdraw to achieve broader left unity. Arce called on Senate President Andronico Rodríguez, considered the next-generation leftist leader and Morales's political successor, to unite the leftist factions and lead the charge against right-wing candidates. The ruling Movement Towards Socialism party has fractured into multiple currents, with separate candidacies from Arce, Morales, and Rodríguez threatening to divide the popular vote. Arce framed his withdrawal as a strategic move to preserve the plurinational state against what he termed a 'fascistoid right-wing project,' emphasizing the need for programmatic alliances among social organizations. The decision intensifies the contest within the left amid a fragmented political landscape and a splintered right wing.