The Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) government led by President Evo Morales is facing its first episode of serious regional unrest since the March gubernatorial and local elections. Since the start of this month, representatives from the Comité Cívico Potosinista (Comcipo), a civic group in south-western Potosí department, one of Bolivia’s poorest departments despite rich mineral resources, and long a MAS stronghold, have been spearheading a region-wide strike insisting that President Morales meet 26 demands. The big problem for the MAS government is that it is affecting the mining sector, already struggling as a result of the fall in international commodity…

BOLIVIA | Alternative energy plants On 27 July the Bolivian government through the national electricity company (Ende) committed to implement 11 renewable energy projects in the country by 2020, which will generate approximately 400 MW with an investment of at least US$600m. These projects will allow Bolivia to increase the proportion of its wind, solar, geothermic and biomass energies from 1% to 4% of total energy production. The government predicts that thermoelectric production will decrease from 65% to 26% and hydroelectric production will double from 35% to 70% by 2025. “We plan to have a surplus of 2,500 MW by…

A damning report on the parlous state of Caracas hospitals broadcast on 29 July by the UK’s award-winning Channel 4 News, not exactly known for its sympathies with the Right, doubtless would be received with scorn by President Nicolás Maduro as part of the international conspiracy against the country with the largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia. It is difficult to know how his revered late predecessor, Hugo Chávez (1999-2013), who on 28 July would have turned 61, would have responded to such damaging global images of his homeland. Harder still is to guess at how Venezuelan…