*Bolivia’s economy and finance minister, Marcelo Montenegro, has said that roadblocks manned by supporters of former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) are costing the country between US$150m and US$200m per day. According to state news agency ABI, as of yesterday there were over 40 roadblocks in place around the country, with clashes having left over 30 people injured since the blockade began on 2 June. Morales, who is accused by President Luis Arce’s government of seeking to intimidate electoral authorities into allowing him to seek the presidency in the August general elections despite term limits, suffered a further setback yesterday when the constitutional court (TCP) cancelled the legal status of the latest party which he has sought to represent, Partido de Acción Nacional Boliviano (PAN-Bol). The TCP’s ruling was based on the fact that PAN-Bol did not attain at least 3% of the vote in the 2020 elections. The TCP also gave a boost yesterday to Morales’ former ally-turned-rival, senate president Andrónico Rodríguez, rejecting a legal challenge against the participation of his Alianza Popular (AP) coalition. Rodríguez’s candidacy will further split the left-wing vote and poses perhaps the greatest challenge to Eduardo del Castillo, Arce’s former interior minister (2020-2025), who is the candidate for the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS).
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