Progressives in Toronto Reject the Bolivian Coup Regime

By Aidan Jonah

This article was originally published on The Canada Files, October 18, 2020

Dozens of people came out to stand in solidarity with the Bolivian people in their fight to restore democracy, and to take control back from Jeanine Áñez’s coup regime, at a rally hosted by the Communist Party of Canada.

The protest was held at Matt Cohen Park, on the final day of voting in the Bolivian presidential election, with polls closing at 5 p.m. EST.

Jay Watts, Central Organizer of the Communist Party of Canada, said the “No New Coup in Bolivia! Support Democracy” rally was organized to expose Canada’s complicity in the Bolivian coup government‘s attacks on democracy, and show solidarity with the Bolivian people.

The Bolivian coup government has recently worked to intimidate progressive election observers, including Max Blumenthal of The Grayzone, and independent journalists such as Ollie Vargas.

Meanwhile, the Organization of American States’ electoral observation mission, whose falsified report on the 2019 Bolivian elections was utilized as justification for the coup against Indigenous socialist president Evo Morales, has been welcomed into the country.

Canada was one of the first countries to support the Bolivian coup government, and continues to allow mining companies to do business in Bolivia despite atrocities committed by Áñez’s regime. They stayed silent as the Bolivian coup government delayed the elections numerous times, with fascist coup leader Fernando Camacho begging the OAS to delay the election, saying that it would constitute the “resurrection of MAS”. The election was delayed until October 19, with the COVID-19 pandemic used as justification.

Watts slammed the Bolivian coup regime, “The Áñez coup regime and its backers – some descendants of literal escaped fascists from the World War Two era – have been looting the country as they repress people,” Watts called out the Canadian government for supporting it:. “Right across the street is the office of Chrystia Freeland, who was the Foreign Affairs Minister who recognized this illegitimate government.”

The day before voting, the coup regime held a military parade on the streets of major cities across the country, and thanked soldiers for “removing the dictator” (referencing democratically-elected Morales). The preliminary elections results system was then scrapped 12 hours before election, meaning that results won’t be known until Wednesday.

Ivan Byard, General Secretary of the Young Communist League of Canada, noted that the Bolivian people “haven’t stood down. They continue to fight, and they continue to organize, to the point where [Áñez] was forced to resign.” Byard added that there were parallels between the Canada-supported coup government’s actions and the mass-arrests being inflicted upon Indigenous land defenders in Canada this week.

OSSTF and Common Frontiers member Domenic Bellissimo spoke about how fellow teachers were targeted by the coup regime, and expressed solidarity with those teachers.

All co-organizers of the event, including the Young Communist League of Canada, the Toronto Association for Peace and Solidarity, the Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network, and the Communist Party of Canada, expressed their solidarity with the Bolivian people, and called for fair and free elections which respect the will of Bolivians.

Photo by Jay Watts