Bolivia's Evo Morales Banned From Entering Peru

Facts

• Peru's Interior Ministry announced Monday that Bolivia's socialist former Pres. Evo Morales, who has been blamed for inciting unrest, was barred from entering the country along with eight other unidentified Bolivian nationals.
• This move comes amid weeks of deadly protests against Peruvian Pres. Dina Boluarte after her predecessor Pedro Castillo was ousted in December for allegedly attempting to illegally dissolve Congress, with some demonstrations taking place near the border with Bolivia.
• Morales was banned on claims of interfering in Peru's internal affairs, as Lima has listed him among Bolivian nationals who carried out "political proselytizing activities" affecting Peruvian migratory laws and national security.
• The former Bolivian president, who has argued that Castillo's removal and subsequent arrest on Dec. 7 were unlawful, reacted by stating that Peru's conflict cannot be solved by "expulsions, prohibitions or repression."
• Meanwhile, at least 13 more people died Monday in protests demanding immediate elections in rejection of Boluarte's plans to push presidential and congressional elections scheduled for 2026 to 2024. The protests resumed last week after a hiatus over New Year's break.
• The deaths occurred in the southeastern city of Juliaca, which lies on the Peruvian-Bolivian border and is home to many people from the Aymara indigenous group. To date, the protests have reportedly seen 34 people killed across the country.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, Merco Press, Tele Sur, Associated Press, and France24.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Miami Herald. Latin America's leftist establishment only seems to oppose right-wing coups. Castillo's announcement to dissolve Congress was a clear coup attempt that violated the Peruvian constitution, but instead of condemning Castillo, left-wing leaders are now complaining about his ouster. Astonishingly, a leftist leader like Morales is now advocating for "democracy" while he himself remained in power long beyond his constitutional term and blatantly rigged Bolivia's 2019 elections. By siding with Castillo, Latin America's left is unmasking itself.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Mayadeen. Morales has every right to stand up for the largely poor and indigenous protesters and for Castillo's release, given the current Peruvian government's lack of any true democratic legitimacy. The outrage of Peruvians who voted for Castillo is justified as it was the US that interfered in Peru's internal affairs to remove Castillo and eventually install Boluarte in power. It's not leftist leaders like Morales who are jeopardizing democracy in Latin America, but Washington and its policy of meddling in its supposed Latin American backyard.

Predictions