[Peace-discuss] fact-checking the claimed manipulation in Bolivia's election -- was Re: Fwd: Sen. Duckworth: Responding to your message

[Stuart Levy]

Mark Weisbrot of CEPR responded to both of the check-able points.

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.

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.

   
http://cepr.net/publications/op-eds-columns/the-organization-of-american-states-has-deceived-the-public-terribly-on-the-bolivian-election

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):

   https://fair.org/home/unpacking-media-propaganda-about-bolivias-election/

On 12/5/19 8:07 AM, Mildred O'brien via Peace wrote:
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mildred O'brien <moboct1 at aim.com>
> To: peace-discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.com>
> Sent: Thu, Dec 5, 2019 8:05 am
> Subject: Re: Sen. Duckworth: Responding to your message
>
>
>
> This reply (bold added by me) from T.D. needs to be fact-checked.
>
>
> mo'b
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Senator Tammy Duckworth <correspondence at duckworth.senate.gov>
> To: moboct1 <moboct1 at aol.com>
> Sent: Wed, Dec 4, 2019 1:04 pm
> Subject: Responding to your message
>
>   
>
>  
>
> Dear Neighbor,
>
> 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.
>
> On October 20, 2019, voters across Bolivia went to the polls to elect
> members of the legislature and a president. *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. *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.
>
> Amid the controversy, the Organization of American States conducted an
> audit that found *clear manipulation in the election, including
> widespread data manipulation and altered and forged records.*
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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 www.duckworth.senate.gov. 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.
>
>
> Sincerely,
> <https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=SenDuckworth&crop=15459QQQ22445746QQQ7615937QQQ7370212&report_id=Signature&redirect=http%3a%2f%2fduckworth.senate.gov&redir_log=800154790113193>
>
> Tammy Duckworth
> United States Senator
>
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>
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