Civic Community[5][6] (Spanish: Comunidad Ciudadana, CC) is a liberal Bolivian political coalition led by former president Carlos Mesa, founded in 2018 to contest the 2019 general election. It was born of the alliance of Revolutionary Left Front (FRI), Sovereignty and Freedom (Sol.Bo), All Organization, and Kochala Force parties.[7][8] The alliance holds Mesa's presidential candidacy, with former minister Gustavo Pedraza as his running mate. The CC elected 50 deputies and 14 senators in the country's Plurinational Legislative Assembly in the election.

The CC campaign focused on condemning the candidacy of incumbent president Evo Morales to a controversial but legal fourth consecutive five-year term. The election took place on October 20, 2019. With a preliminary vote count of 45% for incumbent president Evo Morales and 38% for his leading challenger, former president Carlos Mesa, after 83% of votes were counted, neither of those conditions appeared likely to be met. A second-round runoff vote between those two candidates would therefore be held on 15 December.[9]

After that figure of 83% of the total, however, no further updates to the preliminary results were made after 19:40 hours local time, which caused consternation among opposition politicians and the election monitors deployed by the Organization of American States; candidate Mesa described the suspension as "extremely serious" and spoke of manipulation, while the OAS said an explanation was essential. The electoral authorities explained that updates to the preliminary count had been halted because the official results were beginning to be released; nevertheless, no official results were published overnight.[10]

Constituent parties

2019

On 6 October 2018, former president Carlos Mesa accepted the invitation of the Revolutionary Left Front (FRI) to be the party's presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections.[11] Soon after, various parties expressed their interest in forming a unified opposition alliance with Mesa at the helm.[12] On 24 October, La Paz Mayor Luis Revilla announced that his Sovereignty and Liberty (SOL.bo) civic group had decided to support Mesa's candidacy.[13] After a 26-minute walk through the Central Urban Park La Paz on 30 October, Revilla and Mesa, before the media, presented their "Citizen" alliance.[14] The pact was formalized the following day.[15] Civic Community (CC) was registered with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on 13 November 2018 as a coalition between the FRI, SOL.bo, and over 50 citizens platforms.[16] The coalition was further expanded the following day, when CC signed an alliance with TODOS, the regional party of Tarija Governor Adrián Oliva.[17]

Despite last minute hopes of constructing a "greater agreement" between CC and the two largest opposition fronts, the National Unity Front (UN) and the Democrat Social Movement (MDS), both parties registered their own alliance dubbed "Bolivia Says No".[18][19]

Party Ideology Type Registration
Revolutionary Left Front Reformism, Social democracy Political party National
Sovereignty and Liberty Social democracy Civic group La Paz

2020–2021

Main article: 2021 Bolivian regional elections

CC contested regional elections for the first time in 2021. In all but three departments, CC ran its own candidates under the variant name Civic Community – Autonomies for Bolivia (Comunidad Ciudadana-Autonomías para Bolivia, CA). The exceptions were in Beni where it aligned with Creemos to form the Let's Change (Cambiemos) alliance, Pando where it joined with the regional Democratic Integration Community (CID), and Tarija where it gained the support of incumbent governor Adrián Oliva to form Community of Everyone (Comunidad de Todos).[20][21][22] Santa Cruz was the only department where it did not present a gubernatorial candidate, choosing instead to endorse Creemos leader Luis Fernando Camacho.[23]

Largely as a result of the hugely divided opposition field, CC failed to win any gubernatorial elections and won six mayoral elections. These were in Camiri, Colcapirhua, Ingavi, Puerto Rico, San Pedro de Manuripi, and Santos Mercado. The latter four were all located in Pando, where CC saw its best performance.[24]

In the 2021 elections the Civic Community coalition was composed of the following groups:[25]

Party Ideology Type Registration
Revolutionary Left Front Reformism
Social democracy 		Political party National
First the People Civic group Tarija

2024

In December 2024 the Revolutionary Left Front left the coalition in order to support the candidacy of Jorge Quiroga in the 2025 presidential election.[26] Marcelo Pedrazas, a CC deputy from Chuquisaca, stated that the FRI's withdrawal indicated that "Civic Community has become a failed project" as a result of internal strife within the coalition.[27]

Electoral results

Presidential elections

Election Presidential nominee Running mate Votes % Votes % Result
First Round Second Round
2019 Carlos Mesa Gustavo Pedraza 2,240,920 36.51% Annulled Red XN
2020 1,775,943 28.83% Lost Red XN

Legislative elections

Plurinational Legislative Assembly
Election Votes Seats Position Government
No. % Chamber ± Senate ±
2019 2,240,920 36.51
50 / 130
 Increase 50
14 / 38
 Increase 14 2nd Results annulled
2020 1,775,943 28.83
39 / 130
 Decrease 11
11 / 38
 Decrease 3 Steady 2nd Movement for Socialism

Regional elections

Election Seats
Mayors ± Governors ±
2021
6 / 337
 Increase 6
0 / 9
 Steady 0

See also

References

  1. ^ https://urgente.bo/noticia/estas-son-las-cifras-de-militancia-de-los-partidos-pol%C3%ADticos-en-bolivia [bare URL]
  2. ^ Ruiz Collantes, F. Xavier; Sofía Cabezas, Ana (1 September 2024). "Populist discourses and conflicts of democratic legitimacy: the Bolivian political crisis of 2019". Journal of Political Ideologies. 29 (3): 656–678. doi:10.1080/13569317.2022.2099072. ISSN 1356-9317. Anti-MAS-IPSP votes went to the liberal Comunidad Ciudadana, led by Carlos Mesa.
  3. ^
    • Baeza Freer, Jaime; Cortinhas, Juliano; Escudero Illanes, María Cristina; Montenegro, Pablo; Namihas, Sandra; Novak, Fabián; Pastrana Buelvas, Eduardo; Pérez Enríquez, Diego; Ramalho, Antonio Jorge (2022). Relaciones civil-militares en la región sudamericana. Reflexiones desde Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. Red de Política de Seguridad. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Instituto de Estudios Internacionales (IDEI). ISBN 978-9972-671-94-4. La renuncia de Jeanine Añez a su candidatura para la presidencia del Estado en las elecciones de 2020 dejó en carrera —además del MAS— a dos agrupaciones polı́ticas de la oposición: el partido conservador CREEMOS, del caudillo cruceño Luis Fernando Camacho, y a la alianza centrista Comunidad Ciudadana, que habı́a recibido 36,5% de los votos en las elecciones de 2019 y cuyo candidato, el historiador Carlos Mesa, fue el principal perjudicado por el fraude electoral, pues tenı́a altas probabilidades de ganar a Evo Morales en la segunda vuelta electoral.
    • "Bolivia election: Evo Morales' ally Luis Arce set for win". BBC News. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2025. A quick-count by pollsters Ciesmori suggests Luis Arce has won with 52.4%, trailed by Mr Mesa of the centrist Citizens' Community alliance with 31.5%.
    • Nugent, Ciara (20 October 2020). "The Far-Left Wins Back Power in Bolivia. What Does That Mean for the Country's Future?". TIME. Retrieved 20 February 2025. The "anti-MAS" parties, including Mesa's centrist Citizen Community alliance and smaller rightwing forces, Arequipa says, focused their campaigns "more on fear [of MAS returning to power].
    • Graham, Thomas (19 October 2022). "Bolivian gold miners push into national park despite country's green rhetoric". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 February 2025. In April, Cecilia Requena, an MP from the centrist Comunidad Ciudadana party, went by river to verify that illegal mining was taking place in the Madidi – and was repelled with stones and dynamite.
    • "Counting the Costs of Bolivia's High-level Schism". Crisis Group. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2025. Arce faces opposition not only from other parties – such as Creemos, a right-wing coalition led by Luis Fernando Camacho, the governor of Santa Cruz who has been in jail for the last two years for his involvement in protests after the 2019 vote – and the centrist Comunidad Ciudadana, led by former president Carlos Mesa, but also from the evista faction of the MAS.
  4. ^
  5. ^ "Will Bolivians give Evo Morales a fourth term?". BBC. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  6. ^ Bolivia presidential election: Evo Morales faces a run-off vote on Dec 15, The Santiago Times, 21 October 2018
  7. ^ "Sol.bo, FRI, Todos, ratifican alianza y van con Comunidad Ciudadana a las subnacionales de 2020". 30 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Agrupación Fuerza K´ochala se adhiere a Comunidad Ciudadana". 9 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Bolivia's Evo Morales set to face first run-off". BBC. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Bolivia elections: Concern as results transmission pauses". BBC News. 21 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Bolivia: el ex mandatario Carlos Mesa lanzó su candidatura presidencial para enfrentar a Evo Morales en 2019". infobae (in European Spanish). 7 October 2018. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Mesa lanza su candidatura y llama a colectivos y partidos". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  13. ^ "SOL.bo propone alianza a Mesa y propone agenda programática". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Revilla firma con Mesa y deja que él elija a su acompañante". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  15. ^ Operador 3 (31 October 2018). "Carlos Mesa y Luis Revilla firman alianza de cara a las elecciones primarias". radioamerica (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Mesa y Revilla oficializan la alianza política "Comunidad Ciudadana" ante el TSE | ANF-Agencia de Noticias" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Carlos Mesa y Adrián Oliva confirman alianza para las elecciones de 2019". La Razón | Noticias de Bolivia y el Mundo. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  18. ^ "El FRI dice que siguen las conversaciones con UN y Demócratas". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  19. ^ "UN y Demócratas oficializan alianza 'Bolivia Dice No' y se abren a recibir cualquier candidatura". La Razón | Noticias de Bolivia y el Mundo. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Gonzales dice que quiere poner fin a 14 años de "chacota" en Pand"". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  21. ^ Flores, Edwin. "Beni: 14 alianzas y partidos políticos presentaron listas de candidatos – La Palabra del Beni". lapalabradelbeni.com.bo/ (in European Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Se perfila alianza de CC, FRI, Todos, PG, SOL-BO y otras fuerzas municipales en Tarija". El País Tarija (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Siete frentes respaldan a Camacho y Creemos no apoyará a ningún candidato a la Alcaldía cruceña". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  24. ^ "ELECCIÓN DE AUTORIDADES POLÍTICAS DEPARTAMENTALES, REGIONALES Y MUNICIPALES 2021". Organo Electoral Plurinacional. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  25. ^ "CC descarta alianzas en La Paz y va con variantes en Beni, Pando y Tarija". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  26. ^ "FRI rompe su alianza con CC y sella acuerdo con Tuto Quiroga para participar de las presidenciales". La Razon. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  27. ^ Duran, Cynthia. "Diputado Marcelo Pedrazas: "La ruptura del FRI con Comunidad Ciudadana marca el fin de una alianza fallida."". El Popular Hoy.

Constituent parties

2019

On 6 October 2018, former president Carlos Mesa accepted the invitation of the Revolutionary Left Front (FRI) to be the party's presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections.[1] Soon after, various parties expressed their interest in forming a unified opposition alliance with Mesa at the helm.[2] On 24 October, La Paz Mayor Luis Revilla announced that his Sovereignty and Liberty (SOL.bo) civic group had decided to support Mesa's candidacy.[3] After a 26-minute walk through the Central Urban Park La Paz on 30 October, Revilla and Mesa, before the media, presented their "Citizen" alliance.[4] The pact was formalized the following day.[5] Civic Community (CC) was registered with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on 13 November 2018 as a coalition between the FRI, SOL.bo, and over 50 citizens platforms.[6] The coalition was further expanded the following day, when CC signed an alliance with TODOS, the regional party of Tarija Governor Adrián Oliva.[7]

Despite last minute hopes of constructing a "greater agreement" between CC and the two largest opposition fronts, the National Unity Front (UN) and the Democrat Social Movement (MDS), both parties registered their own alliance dubbed "Bolivia Says No".[8][9]

Party Ideology Type Registration
Revolutionary Left Front Reformism, Social democracy Political party National
Sovereignty and Liberty Social democracy Civic group La Paz

2020–2021

Main article: 2021 Bolivian regional elections

CC contested regional elections for the first time in 2021. In all but three departments, CC ran its own candidates under the variant name Civic Community – Autonomies for Bolivia (Comunidad Ciudadana-Autonomías para Bolivia, CA). The exceptions were in Beni where it aligned with Creemos to form the Let's Change (Cambiemos) alliance, Pando where it joined with the regional Democratic Integration Community (CID), and Tarija where it gained the support of incumbent governor Adrián Oliva to form Community of Everyone (Comunidad de Todos).[10][11][12] Santa Cruz was the only department where it did not present a gubernatorial candidate, choosing instead to endorse Creemos leader Luis Fernando Camacho.[13]

Largely as a result of the hugely divided opposition field, CC failed to win any gubernatorial elections and won six mayoral elections. These were in Camiri, Colcapirhua, Ingavi, Puerto Rico, San Pedro de Manuripi, and Santos Mercado. The latter four were all located in Pando, where CC saw its best performance.[14]

In the 2021 elections the Civic Community coalition was composed of the following groups:[15]

Party Ideology Type Registration
Revolutionary Left Front Reformism
Social democracy 		Political party National
First the People Civic group Tarija

2024

In December 2024 the Revolutionary Left Front left the coalition in order to support the candidacy of Jorge Quiroga in the 2025 presidential election.[16] Marcelo Pedrazas, a CC deputy from Chuquisaca, stated that the FRI's withdrawal indicated that "Civic Community has become a failed project" as a result of internal strife within the coalition.[17]

Electoral results

Presidential elections

Election Presidential nominee Running mate Votes % Votes % Result
First Round Second Round
2019 Carlos Mesa Gustavo Pedraza 2,240,920 36.51% Annulled Red XN
2020 1,775,943 28.83% Lost Red XN

Legislative elections

Plurinational Legislative Assembly
Election Votes Seats Position Government
No. % Chamber ± Senate ±
2019 2,240,920 36.51
50 / 130
 Increase 50
14 / 38
 Increase 14 2nd Results annulled
2020 1,775,943 28.83
39 / 130
 Decrease 11
11 / 38
 Decrease 3 Steady 2nd Movement for Socialism

Regional elections

Election Seats
Mayors ± Governors ±
2021
6 / 337
 Increase 6
0 / 9
 Steady 0

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bolivia: el ex mandatario Carlos Mesa lanzó su candidatura presidencial para enfrentar a Evo Morales en 2019". infobae (in European Spanish). 7 October 2018. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Mesa lanza su candidatura y llama a colectivos y partidos". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  3. ^ "SOL.bo propone alianza a Mesa y propone agenda programática". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Revilla firma con Mesa y deja que él elija a su acompañante". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  5. ^ Operador 3 (31 October 2018). "Carlos Mesa y Luis Revilla firman alianza de cara a las elecciones primarias". radioamerica (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Mesa y Revilla oficializan la alianza política "Comunidad Ciudadana" ante el TSE | ANF-Agencia de Noticias" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Carlos Mesa y Adrián Oliva confirman alianza para las elecciones de 2019". La Razón | Noticias de Bolivia y el Mundo. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  8. ^ "El FRI dice que siguen las conversaciones con UN y Demócratas". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  9. ^ "UN y Demócratas oficializan alianza 'Bolivia Dice No' y se abren a recibir cualquier candidatura". La Razón | Noticias de Bolivia y el Mundo. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Gonzales dice que quiere poner fin a 14 años de "chacota" en Pand"". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  11. ^ Flores, Edwin. "Beni: 14 alianzas y partidos políticos presentaron listas de candidatos – La Palabra del Beni". lapalabradelbeni.com.bo/ (in European Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Se perfila alianza de CC, FRI, Todos, PG, SOL-BO y otras fuerzas municipales en Tarija". El País Tarija (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Siete frentes respaldan a Camacho y Creemos no apoyará a ningún candidato a la Alcaldía cruceña". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). 29 December 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  14. ^ "ELECCIÓN DE AUTORIDADES POLÍTICAS DEPARTAMENTALES, REGIONALES Y MUNICIPALES 2021". Organo Electoral Plurinacional. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  15. ^ "CC descarta alianzas en La Paz y va con variantes en Beni, Pando y Tarija". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  16. ^ "FRI rompe su alianza con CC y sella acuerdo con Tuto Quiroga para participar de las presidenciales". La Razon. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  17. ^ Duran, Cynthia. "Diputado Marcelo Pedrazas: "La ruptura del FRI con Comunidad Ciudadana marca el fin de una alianza fallida."". El Popular Hoy.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civic_Community
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