LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Was Bolivia’s 2019 political crisis that left 37 people dead a coup or a popular rebellion against electoral fraud? The controversy landed in schools with a textbook that talks about a coup and that triggered rejection from teachers and opponents.
“We are not here to indoctrinate or ideologize,” said teachers in the public who threatened to take to the streets this week to reject “the new curriculum imposed by the Department of Education,” according to the union leader, Jose Luis Alvarez.
“It is not indoctrination, it is part of our history and the teacher must be ready to share with his students a critical analysis of reality”, replied the Deputy Minister of Education, Bartolomé Puma.
The National Council for the Defense of Democracy (CONADE) – which brings together citizens’ organizations of the opposition – added another lawsuit against the government of President Luis Arce and rejected the attempt to install in the classroom “a false coup theory in favor of Evo Morales”, the former president and leader of the ruling party.
The 2019 elections were denounced as fraudulent by the observation mission of the Organization of American States (OAS). Morales, who was seeking a fourth consecutive term, resigned due to social unrest across the country and right-wing opposition Senator Jeanine Áñez took office and, a year later, called elections which were won by Arce, Morales’ political heir.
With the return to government of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), Morales’ party, more than a hundred political and social leaders who encouraged the protests have been brought to justice, starting with Áñez, who is serving a 10-year sentence. years for these episodes. and face other challenges. The opposition has denounced political persecution with the support of judges affiliated with the government and assures that there are politically persecuted people in the country. Pro-government supporters say they are seeking justice for the coup promoters.
The issue keeps the country sharply polarized, especially since the prosecution has acquitted Morales and his former aides of any investigation. According to analysts, this is the problem that causes the most instability.
The text in question will be taught this year in the last year of secondary school and says: “an army officer places the presidential sash on the self-proclaimed Áñez in a clear symbolic representation of the coup that was taking place”.
The Education Ministry said on Monday that the new textbooks would be distributed to schools this week.