In recent weeks Bolivian President Evo Morales has submitted to Congress a law that would in his words, “punish liars” in the news and “moralize” independent news organizations in Bolivia. This is worrying as laws similar to this are already seen in the totalitarian states of Venezuela and Nicaragua. This is part of the downward trend of the Bolivian government, another component is Morales continued unconstitutional claim to the presidency. This has led him to be faced by extreme opposition while also being fiercely supported. The contrast of these two groups has caused a rise in conflict and aggression. While his campaign for power has been successful and has not faced any candidate that he can’t have “taken care of”, The United States and many other Latin American countries have voiced their denunciation of Morales. Though it is thought to be President Trump’s dismissal of the media that has given Morales confidence to do the same.
Rising totalitarianism in Latin American countries is dangerous to people within those countries and also a potential threat to other stable democracies in that region. In my opinion, the United States and the global community needs to pay more attention to these trends before more people are put at risk because of them. Latin American countries are also a big part of the global export economy and the global community should pay attention to them for that reason if nothing else spurs them into action. We cannot allow Bolivia to fall victim to totalitarianism as we have allowed Venezuela and Nicaragua to fall, we cannot allow this to be a case of the domino effect.
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