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| Bolivia to Vote on Term Limits Amid Growing Doubts About Its President | Bolivia to Vote on Term Limits Amid Growing Doubts About Its President |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| LA PAZ, Bolivia — When Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, set Sunday as the date for a referendum to allow him to run for a fourth term, victory seemed likely. The fiery leftist and former coca grower was popular. His campaign’s pitch: “Without Morales, the sun will hide and the moon will escape.” | LA PAZ, Bolivia — When Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, set Sunday as the date for a referendum to allow him to run for a fourth term, victory seemed likely. The fiery leftist and former coca grower was popular. His campaign’s pitch: “Without Morales, the sun will hide and the moon will escape.” |
| Bolivians, however, appear to have other ideas about his presidency. | Bolivians, however, appear to have other ideas about his presidency. |
| In recent months, Mr. Morales has been abandoned by his once-loyal constituents, coca growers, peasants and indigenous organizations who say he no longer represents them. | In recent months, Mr. Morales has been abandoned by his once-loyal constituents, coca growers, peasants and indigenous organizations who say he no longer represents them. |
| He has struggled to explain the scandalous revelations of an illegitimate child, angering many in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. | He has struggled to explain the scandalous revelations of an illegitimate child, angering many in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. |
| And last week, a mob burned six people to death at the city hall in El Alto, the nation’s second-largest city. Among those arrested in connection with the fire: a former candidate from Mr. Morales’s party. | And last week, a mob burned six people to death at the city hall in El Alto, the nation’s second-largest city. Among those arrested in connection with the fire: a former candidate from Mr. Morales’s party. |
| Mr. Morales, 56, now struggles to defend his legacy against opponents who say that after a decade in power, he has become another Latin American strongman. Polls ahead of the vote show support for the referendum slipping, though many voters remain undecided. | Mr. Morales, 56, now struggles to defend his legacy against opponents who say that after a decade in power, he has become another Latin American strongman. Polls ahead of the vote show support for the referendum slipping, though many voters remain undecided. |
| Mr. Morales is not alone among leftist leaders suddenly feeling the tide turning against them in this region. Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s left-leaning president, faces looming impeachment proceedings over a corruption scandal involving the state oil company. As economies slumped in Venezuela and Argentina, voters turned against social-leaning populists for the first time in years, replacing them with market-oriented rivals. | Mr. Morales is not alone among leftist leaders suddenly feeling the tide turning against them in this region. Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s left-leaning president, faces looming impeachment proceedings over a corruption scandal involving the state oil company. As economies slumped in Venezuela and Argentina, voters turned against social-leaning populists for the first time in years, replacing them with market-oriented rivals. |
| Yet for Mr. Morales, who has presided over a national economy that has grown by 5 percent annually, it is an unexpected turn of fortune. | Yet for Mr. Morales, who has presided over a national economy that has grown by 5 percent annually, it is an unexpected turn of fortune. |
| An Aymara Indian who was born poor, Mr. Morales raised the minimum wage by 400 percent, appointed indigenous leaders to high positions and offered stability not seen in decades of white leadership. | An Aymara Indian who was born poor, Mr. Morales raised the minimum wage by 400 percent, appointed indigenous leaders to high positions and offered stability not seen in decades of white leadership. |
| In 2014, he was re-elected to a third term with 60 percent of the vote. | In 2014, he was re-elected to a third term with 60 percent of the vote. |
| José Alberto Gonzales, the president of Bolivia’s Senate and a proponent of lifting presidential term limits, said Mr. Morales had done nothing short of creating a new Bolivia, in which the country’s immense natural gas wealth was redistributed to the indigenous poor. “Now the state plays the role of protagonist,” Mr. Gonzales said. | José Alberto Gonzales, the president of Bolivia’s Senate and a proponent of lifting presidential term limits, said Mr. Morales had done nothing short of creating a new Bolivia, in which the country’s immense natural gas wealth was redistributed to the indigenous poor. “Now the state plays the role of protagonist,” Mr. Gonzales said. |
| Some of the indigenous constituents that made Mr. Morales’s movement possible, however, now say the opposite. | Some of the indigenous constituents that made Mr. Morales’s movement possible, however, now say the opposite. |
| One arena of dispute is the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qullasuyu, a powerful federation of indigenous tribes that once backed the president. But when its leadership began to disagree with Mr. Morales several years ago, the president created a parallel body that was friendlier to his administration. | One arena of dispute is the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qullasuyu, a powerful federation of indigenous tribes that once backed the president. But when its leadership began to disagree with Mr. Morales several years ago, the president created a parallel body that was friendlier to his administration. |
| Those that did not join the new organization say they were ignored. Cristóbal Huanca, an indigenous leader who lives along Bolivia’s Lake Poopó, said he and his people had watched as the combination of water diversion and climate change caused the lake to evaporate. The government did little to help, Mr. Huanca said. | Those that did not join the new organization say they were ignored. Cristóbal Huanca, an indigenous leader who lives along Bolivia’s Lake Poopó, said he and his people had watched as the combination of water diversion and climate change caused the lake to evaporate. The government did little to help, Mr. Huanca said. |
| “Our brother Evo can’t do anything about climate change, but he always speaks about Mother Earth and does little to defend it,” Mr. Huanca said. | “Our brother Evo can’t do anything about climate change, but he always speaks about Mother Earth and does little to defend it,” Mr. Huanca said. |
| Accusations of strong-arm tactics echo in El Alto, a large, indigenous city high in the Andes. Residents there broke with the president’s party, Movement for Socialism, in 2014, electing Mayor Soledad Chapetón, who opened corruption investigations against union leaders aligned with the group. | Accusations of strong-arm tactics echo in El Alto, a large, indigenous city high in the Andes. Residents there broke with the president’s party, Movement for Socialism, in 2014, electing Mayor Soledad Chapetón, who opened corruption investigations against union leaders aligned with the group. |
| On Wednesday, the fire at the mayor’s offices destroyed documents related to the investigation and killed the lawyer heading the inquest along with five others. On Thursday, Braulio Rocha, a union leader, and Wilmer Sarzuri, a former candidate from Mr. Morales’ party, were arrested in connection with the fire. | On Wednesday, the fire at the mayor’s offices destroyed documents related to the investigation and killed the lawyer heading the inquest along with five others. On Thursday, Braulio Rocha, a union leader, and Wilmer Sarzuri, a former candidate from Mr. Morales’ party, were arrested in connection with the fire. |
| Although the government has denied any connection to the killings, voters like Rita Ticona, a 32-year-old teacher in El Alto, said that the events had frightened her and that she would be voting against the referendum. | Although the government has denied any connection to the killings, voters like Rita Ticona, a 32-year-old teacher in El Alto, said that the events had frightened her and that she would be voting against the referendum. |
| “It’s a shame for this country,” she said. “The political situation has been taken advantage of to commit crimes and end lives.” | “It’s a shame for this country,” she said. “The political situation has been taken advantage of to commit crimes and end lives.” |
| As all this happened, Mr. Morales was struggling to defend himself against a sex scandal and allegations that he had fathered a child out of wedlock. | As all this happened, Mr. Morales was struggling to defend himself against a sex scandal and allegations that he had fathered a child out of wedlock. |
| Last month, Bolivian journalists reported that Mr. Morales’s 29-year-old girlfriend had profited as a senior executive at a Chinese company with $500 million in state contracts. | Last month, Bolivian journalists reported that Mr. Morales’s 29-year-old girlfriend had profited as a senior executive at a Chinese company with $500 million in state contracts. |
| At first, Mr. Morales, who is not married, said he had ended the relationship, but photos soon surfaced of the couple embracing last year. | At first, Mr. Morales, who is not married, said he had ended the relationship, but photos soon surfaced of the couple embracing last year. |
| In a related scandal, Mr. Morales said that he had fathered a child with the same girlfriend, but that after “bad luck” the baby died in 2007. He has not produced a death certificate. | In a related scandal, Mr. Morales said that he had fathered a child with the same girlfriend, but that after “bad luck” the baby died in 2007. He has not produced a death certificate. |
| The scandals have not gone over well with voters, said Ludwig Valverde, a Bolivian political scientist. “If your son died, what father could brush this off so lightly?” he said. “What a terrible image it’s made, especially with women.” | The scandals have not gone over well with voters, said Ludwig Valverde, a Bolivian political scientist. “If your son died, what father could brush this off so lightly?” he said. “What a terrible image it’s made, especially with women.” |
| Other misconduct accusations have dogged Mr. Morales. | Other misconduct accusations have dogged Mr. Morales. |
| Some center on Fondo Indígena, a program that finances indigenous development projects with money collected from the country’s natural gas rents. Diego Ayo, a political-science professor at the Higher University of San Andrés in La Paz, said that at least $180 million of the fund’s assets were unaccounted for. | |
| One fraud allegation says the fund had pledged to give an indigenous community a shipment of blackface sheep, known for their high-quality wool and meat. But during a rainy presentation ceremony, officials were chagrined when paint on the sheep’s faces washed away, Professor Ayo said. | One fraud allegation says the fund had pledged to give an indigenous community a shipment of blackface sheep, known for their high-quality wool and meat. But during a rainy presentation ceremony, officials were chagrined when paint on the sheep’s faces washed away, Professor Ayo said. |
| “It’s become a negative cycle of arrogance,” Professor Ayo said. | “It’s become a negative cycle of arrogance,” Professor Ayo said. |
| Yet for voters like Jaime Apaza Choque, a 25-year-old taxi driver, accusations of corruption will not be enough to change their minds. The father of five said that he had managed to hold down steady work under Mr. Morales and that he would reward the president with his vote. | Yet for voters like Jaime Apaza Choque, a 25-year-old taxi driver, accusations of corruption will not be enough to change their minds. The father of five said that he had managed to hold down steady work under Mr. Morales and that he would reward the president with his vote. |
| “He wasn’t the only one to steal, the others did exactly the same,” Mr. Choque said. “And I don’t know that what’s been said is true. In the meantime, I am able to care for my family and I’m good. So I support him.” | “He wasn’t the only one to steal, the others did exactly the same,” Mr. Choque said. “And I don’t know that what’s been said is true. In the meantime, I am able to care for my family and I’m good. So I support him.” |