Bolivian President Luis Arce celebrated his fourth anniversary in power, highlighting achievements in foreign policy and industrialization of lithium, while facing internal divisions in the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) and criticism from his predecessor, Evo Morales.

Upon completing four years as president of Bolivia, Luis Arce highlighted in his message to the country the admission of Bolivia into the BRICS as one of the greatest achievements of his foreign policy. However, the celebrations also highlighted the political tensions that run through the government, with an open confrontation between Arce and former president Evo Morales, who launched strong criticism of the current government.

During his speech from the historic Murillo Plaza, Arce stressed the importance of Bolivia’s recent incorporation into the BRICS group, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Bolivia enters as an associated state, a condition that the president valued as a fundamental step to position the country in the international arena.

“It is without a doubt the most important achievement of our diplomacy, since it places us on the world stage,” said Arce. This advance in foreign policy was consolidated after the meeting he held in October with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the BRICS summit in Kazan, where both leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation projects and agreed on Bolivia’s entry into the bloc.

Regarding economic achievements, Arce highlighted the boost given to the industrialization of lithium, one of Bolivia’s most valuable resources, and the reactivation of oil exploitation. In his message, he urged the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) to approve the external credits and contracts necessary to develop this strategic industry. These projects, the president stressed, are fundamental for the Bolivian economy and, in his opinion, will open new opportunities for development in the coming years.

Arce, who was Minister of Economy during the Morales administration, also highlighted the efforts of his government to stabilize the country’s economy despite the difficulties. In this regard, he said that Bolivia has faced obstacles in its economic growth, including a 24-day period of blockades organized by sectors related to Morales.

However, the Bolivian president assured that economic recovery and social stability are priorities of his administration for the coming years. Despite these advances, the fourth anniversary of Arce’s mandate also highlighted the growing division within the Movement for Socialism (MAS).

During the session of the Legislative Assembly called to commemorate this day, Vice President David Choquehuanca was received with tomatoes and shouts by legislators related to Evo Morales, who blocked access to the legislative headquarters and prevented the vice president from speaking and the president’s speech in Congress.

This incident led Arce to take his message to Murillo Square. In his speech, Arce condemned the acts of vandalism and accused the “Evo” bloc of not having the will to dialogue. “We condemn the attacks on the vice president. What we have witnessed is one of the most shameful chapters of the Bolivian Legislative Assembly,” said the president.

For his part, and through a message published on his social networks, former president Morales launched strong accusations against the Arce government, which he described as a betrayal of the founding principles of the MAS.

Morales stated that the current president “was committed to raising the economy and sank it,” and accused him of acting in an “authoritarian and repressive” manner.

He also pointed out that the Arce government has divided and privileged certain leaders of social movements to consolidate its position. For Morales, the Arce administration is neoliberal in economic terms, anti-popular in social terms, and focuses on “outlawing the MAS and disqualifying Evo.”

Amid these tensions, Arce began his fifth year of government with a ceremony in honor of Pachamama, accompanied by national authorities and Vice President Choquehuanca. In a message of optimism, the president assured that “better days are coming for the Bolivian people” and reaffirmed his commitment to continue working on projects that promote the development of the country.

The text was ready just in time for November 9. After all, the “traffic light” parties and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag wanted to use the opportunity to misuse the commemoration of the Reichspogromnacht for a comprehensive attack on freedom of opinion, freedom of assembly, artistic freedom and academic freedom. Nothing else is behind the resolution with the misleading title “Never again is now: Protecting, preserving and strengthening Jewish life in Germany”.

The pamphlet, which is to be passed by the Bundestag this Thursday, has nothing to do with the fight against anti-Semitism. After all, what use is it to Jews if the Bundestag is eloquently happy about the “diversity of Jewish life”, but at the same time deliberately harasses them with the most stupid distortion possible: by equating the state of Israel and their religious community. This is exactly what happens in the resolution, which is emphatically based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism, which defames criticism of Israeli policy as “anti-Semitic”. Rejection of war and genocide or opposition to the illegal occupation policy thus fall outside the spectrum of permissible opinions. A great “diversity” that is being celebrated.

However, other groups are the main target of the resolution. “In recent months, the alarming extent of anti-Semitism based on immigration from the countries of North Africa and the Middle East has become clear,” the text states. In addition, there is also an “increase in Israel-related and left-wing anti-imperialist anti-Semitism”. The solution to this? Ampel and the CDU are calling for “loopholes in the law to be closed and repressive options to be consistently exploited”. This applies “in particular to criminal law as well as residence, asylum and citizenship law”.

The addressees of these remarks march in uniformed beatings squads, sit in courtrooms and offices. Dog-whistle politics is the term used when enemy images are named in disguise and released for firing. The resolution may not have the force of law, but it is a signal to the representatives of the “raison d’état” to strike without inhibition when they encounter supposed “anti-Semites” with the wrong religion, the wrong origin or the wrong - because anti-imperialist - convictions. The Springer newspaper “Welt” rightly hopes that this will lead to “a considerable toughening of the approach towards all those who agitate against Israel or against Jews”. Anyone following the brutal police attacks on Palestine solidarity camps and demonstrations that are already taking place can easily imagine what will happen next.

But it is not only on the streets and in the immigration authorities that the “pace” is being stepped up. The resolution calls for further bans on associations against “extremist organizations”. The internationally active BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) is explicitly mentioned. “Anti-Semitic behavior” at universities should be punished by “appropriate means”. These include: “the application of domiciliary rights, exclusion from classes or studies and even de-registration”. Funding for art and culture will only be available after an attitude test. Anyone who leans too far out of the window here with criticism - for example of German involvement in the genocide in Gaza - will quickly be out.

According to the will of the traffic-light-coalition and CDU, already severely restricted debating chambers will soon be closed completely. This is also attracting criticism from the middle classes. In the “Berliner Zeitung” newspaper, Olaf Zimmermann, Managing Director of the German Cultural Council, spoke out “against an obligation to make a statement when applying for cultural funding”. Deutschlandfunk radio reported on confidential discussions with members of the Bundestag who had “followed the work on this resolution with grave misgivings, in some cases horror”. They had felt under pressure from pro-Israeli lobby organizations and the Israeli embassy, among others, and were afraid of “being defamed as anti-Semites and Israel haters by the Bild newspaper”.

The consequences of the resolution should therefore come as no surprise to anyone. Especially not for those who are hardened enough to push ahead with the reactionary-militaristic restructuring of the state under the title “Never again is now”.