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    Mark Weisbrot of CEPR responded to both of the check-able points.<br>
    <br>
    There were two counts, a "quick count" and a slower, official one.  
    They did stop announcing the "quick count", but Weisbrot points out
    that this is not at all unreasonable, and further that there wasn't
    even the claimed sudden discontinuity in the lead that Morales held
    as the vote counting went on.<br>
    <br>
    He further notes that the OAS didn't present specific evidence of
    the claimed manipulation.   The OAS report tries to argue that the
    distribution of late-arriving votes, which pushed Morales' lead over
    10%, looked too different from earlier ones and therefore were
    suspect.   But Weisbrot calls this out as nonsense: the demographics
    are very different in the rural areas where votes take longer to
    come in, and in those areas Morales' support has traditionally been
    stronger - something the OAS could have seen as well as he can.<br>
    <br>
        <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cepr.net/publications/op-eds-columns/the-organization-of-american-states-has-deceived-the-public-terribly-on-the-bolivian-election">http://cepr.net/publications/op-eds-columns/the-organization-of-american-states-has-deceived-the-public-terribly-on-the-bolivian-election</a><br>
    <br>
    And then there's Gregory Shupak's writeup for FAIR about US media
    complicity in not seeing the coup as a coup (which refers to
    Weisbrot among others):<br>
    <br>
       <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://fair.org/home/unpacking-media-propaganda-about-bolivias-election/">https://fair.org/home/unpacking-media-propaganda-about-bolivias-election/<br>
    </a><br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/5/19 8:07 AM, Mildred O'brien via
      Peace wrote:<br>
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          -----Original Message-----<br>
          From: Mildred O'brien <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:moboct1@aim.com"><moboct1@aim.com></a><br>
          To: peace-discuss <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.com"><peace-discuss@lists.chambana.com></a><br>
          Sent: Thu, Dec 5, 2019 8:05 am<br>
          Subject: Re: Sen. Duckworth: Responding to your message<br>
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                    <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica,
                      sans-serif;font-size:10pt;color:black;">This reply
                      (bold added by me) from T.D. needs to be
                      fact-checked.
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                        <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica,
                          sans-serif;font-size:10pt;color:black;">-----Original
                          Message-----<br clear="none">
                          From: Senator Tammy Duckworth
                          <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:correspondence@duckworth.senate.gov"><correspondence@duckworth.senate.gov></a><br
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                          To: moboct1 <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:moboct1@aol.com"><moboct1@aol.com></a><br
                            clear="none">
                          Sent: Wed, Dec 4, 2019 1:04 pm<br clear="none">
                          Subject: Responding to your message<br
                            clear="none">
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                                                <div
                                                  style="text-align:left;"><span
style="font-size:12pt;color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Dear
                                                    Neighbor,<br
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                                                    <br clear="none">
                                                  </span>
                                                  <p>Thank you for
                                                    contacting me about
                                                    protests in Bolivia
                                                    following the
                                                    contested 2019
                                                    presidential
                                                    election. I
                                                    appreciate you
                                                    taking the time to
                                                    make me aware of
                                                    your concerns on
                                                    this important
                                                    matter.
                                                  </p>
                                                  <p>On October 20,
                                                    2019, voters across
                                                    Bolivia went to the
                                                    polls to elect
                                                    members of the
                                                    legislature and a
                                                    president. <strong>During
                                                      the tabulation of
                                                      votes, election
                                                      officials suddenly
                                                      stopped announcing
                                                      results for nearly
                                                      24 hours without
                                                      an explanation
                                                      before declaring
                                                      incumbent
                                                      president Evo
                                                      Morales the
                                                      winner. </strong>Following
                                                    this announcement,
                                                    violent protests
                                                    erupted across the
                                                    country as
                                                    opposition parties
                                                    claimed that the
                                                    election results
                                                    were illegitimate
                                                    and that election
                                                    officials had acted
                                                    in bad faith to
                                                    benefit Morales. </p>
                                                  <p>Amid the
                                                    controversy, the
                                                    Organization of
                                                    American States
                                                    conducted an audit
                                                    that found <strong>clear
                                                      manipulation in
                                                      the election,
                                                      including
                                                      widespread data
                                                      manipulation and
                                                      altered and forged
                                                      records.</strong>
                                                    Following the
                                                    publication of this
                                                    study, the commander
                                                    of Bolivia’s armed
                                                    forces and the
                                                    national police
                                                    chief called for
                                                    Morales’ resignation
                                                    in an attempt to
                                                    stem the violent
                                                    outbursts across the
                                                    country. Morales
                                                    resigned from his
                                                    post on November 10,
                                                    2019 and his since
                                                    found asylum in
                                                    Mexico, while second
                                                    senate vice
                                                    president Jeanine
                                                    Añez Chávez has
                                                    stepped into the
                                                    presidency in an
                                                    acting capacity
                                                    until new elections
                                                    can be held.
                                                  </p>
                                                  <p>I am extremely
                                                    concerned over the
                                                    growing instability
                                                    and violence in
                                                    Bolivia and the
                                                    potential for it to
                                                    deteriorate even
                                                    further. As the
                                                    situation fluctuates
                                                    day-to-day, I fear
                                                    for the citizens who
                                                    are being harmed as
                                                    collateral damage.
                                                    There must be
                                                    respect for the rule
                                                    of law, fair and
                                                    transparent
                                                    elections and the
                                                    right to peacefully
                                                    assemble. Rest
                                                    assured, I will
                                                    continue to closely
                                                    monitor the
                                                    situation in Bolivia
                                                    and will keep your
                                                    thoughts in mind if
                                                    the subject comes up
                                                    before the Senate. </p>
                                                  <p>Thank you again for
                                                    contacting me on
                                                    this important
                                                    issue. If you would
                                                    like more
                                                    information on my
                                                    work in the Senate,
                                                    please visit my
                                                    website at
                                                    <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.duckworth.senate.gov">www.duckworth.senate.gov</a>.
                                                    You can access my
                                                    voting record and
                                                    see what I am doing
                                                    to address today’s
                                                    most important
                                                    issues. I hope that
                                                    you will continue to
                                                    share your views and
                                                    opinions with me and
                                                    let me know whenever
                                                    I may be of
                                                    assistance to you.
                                                  </p>
                                                  <br clear="none">
                                                  <span
                                                    style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Times;"><span
style="color:#000000;">Sincerely,</span>
                                                    <br clear="none">
                                                  </span><span
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                                                      <span
                                                        style="font-size:12pt;">Tammy
                                                        Duckworth<br
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                                                      </span>
                                                    </span><span
                                                      style="font-size:12pt;color:#000000;font-family:Times;">United
                                                      States Senator<br
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      <pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">_______________________________________________
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