Good morning! We’re covering the aftermath of Lula being released from prison. Evo Morales’s resignation shows how much civilian leaders can’t survive without the backing of generals in Latin America. (This newsletter is for platinum and gold subscribers only. Become one now!)
A dangerous game
Evo Morales resigned as president of Bolivia after almost 14 years in power. The move caps three weeks of tension, following a contested presidential election. Mr. Morales had won a fourth consecutive term at the polls, but accusations of fraud piled up—confirmed by the Organization of American States on Sunday.
Cornered, the president offered to call a new election, but this wasn’t enough for the country’s military elite. Hours later, the head of the Bolivian Armed Forces issued an address to the nation “suggesting” that Mr. Morales resign.
Why it matters. Mr. Morales was pushed out after losing support from the military. That underlines a dangerous phenomenon in many South American countries: they are democracies in name, but leaders are only truly legitimized by the backing of generals. It reopens many scars, in a region where military dictatorships were once the norm.
Examples. Here are some examples of leaders using the Armed Forces as a...