Evo Morales was credited with lifting millions out of poverty and nurturing a growing middle class. But now Bolivia appears to be shifting rightward.

Behind the discontent in Bolivia is a rupture within the Movement for Socialism, or MAS, a leftist party that has dominated the country’s political landscape for two decades.

We will not be cannon fodder for the profits of the rich! For a socialist perspective against the reintroduction of conscription!

Centrist Rodrigo Paz and right-wing Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga won the most votes, marking the end of a socialist era where leftist Evo Morales dominated for nearly 20 years.

June 11, 2024 Socialism: the Great Anti-Theft Movement David S. D’Amato Photograph Source: frankieleon – CC BY 2.0

The Party for Socialism and Liberation, a self-described revolutionary socialist party, was formed in 2004. Gerald Green II says he joined PSL in 2022 after he became disillusioned with the Democratic Party. On Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Green told show host Rose Scott that PSL supports universal health care and seeks to build an anti-capitalist movement for working people.

A pivot toward democratic socialism, or even a willingness simply not to obstruct candidates who embrace it, might be the bold gamble Democrats need to take.

Rodrigo Paz, who had trailed in the polls, won the first round of the presidential election on Sunday, as decades of dominance by a leftist party neared an end.