Bolivians Reject a Referendum for another Term for their Leftist President

           In another blow to the Left in South America, Bolivians voted down a constitutional referendum that would have allowed their term-limited leftist President from standing for re-election to a fourth term.

           Constitutional changes to allow chief executives to serve for life have been a common strategy in the recent rise of authoritarianism within democratic states, especially in Latin America and Africa.

            Led by Venezuela’s socialist dictatorship, leftist parties had come to power in several Latin American States, but that trend is rapidly reversing.  As I posted late last year, the liberal ruling party was defeated in Argentina by a conservative in the Argentine presidential elections last year and the conservative opposition defeated the socialist ruling party in the Venezuelan congressional elections.  See my posts, Trends in Recent Elections in Major Foreign States, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2015/11/trends-in-recent-elections-in-major.html,  The Democratic Opposition Wins a Supermajority in the Venezuelan Congressional Elections, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-democratic-opposition-wins.html, from November and December, respectively.  

           Because Bolivians voted to maintain presidential term-limits to prevent further consolidation of power by the ruling leftist party, they will also have a more effective opportunity to choose a different course in the next presidential elections.