Alongside the boisterous street parties of Carnival, traditional ch’alla ceremonies took place in late February across Bolivia. Incense was burned and blessings of coca leaves and alcohol were offered to Pachamama, or Mother Earth, in rituals affirming bonds of reciprocity between people and Pachamama.

But in addition to the unwelcome, festive chaki (hangover), a deepening political and social rift is adding to the headache of the left and progressive movements in Bolivia.

Since the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) returned to power under Luis Arce in 2020, ex-president Evo Morales has been honing his support base with the hope of returning as president. But in December last year, Bolivia’s Plurinational Constitutional Court ruled that presidents can only hold power for a maximum of two terms and that indefinite reelection “is not a human right.” The ruling dealt a catastrophic blow to the presidential ambitions of the thrice-elected Morales.