Manfred Reyes Villa, the mayor of the central metropolis of Cochabamba, has introduced that he shall be working in Bolivia’s 2025 presidential elections.
Reyes Villa made the announcement on January 5, at an occasion which happened within the Félix Capriles Stadium within the metropolis. In accordance with El popular, he entered the stadium in a tractor and drove across the athletics observe, whereas hundreds of followers chanted messages of assist for the presidential candidate. The temper was reportedly festive, with people music, balloons, Bolivian, and Bolivian flags.
Some supporters additionally sang Freddie Mercury’s iconic “Ay-Oh!” in assist of Reyes Villa, who obtained important on-line consideration after he appeared on the Bolivian music competition Non Cease The Insanity in February 2024, and led Mercury’s iconic call-and-response tune onstage.
Reyes Villa, who has previously said that he’s neither left nor proper leaning, shall be main the Bolivía Súmate (Bolivia Be part of Us) occasion. As issues stand, the governing Movimiento al socialismo (Motion for Socialism or MAS) occasion – which has been divided by a heated inner energy wrestle between present president Luis Arce and former president Evo Morales for a number of months – has nonetheless not formally introduced its presidential candidate.
In accordance with information company EFE, the main opposition to MAS is the “unity bloc” which former presidents Jorge Quiroga and Carlos Mesa are in search of to ascertain alongside businessman Samuel Doria Medina and detained governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho.
Reyes Villa has rejected any chance of becoming a member of the “unity block”, saying: “In the event that they discuss unity, they need to unite with whoever is available in first place, and we’re going to are available in first place. We’re going to win the election, and we’re going to be the federal government, relaxation assured,” he stated.
The “unity block” has not rejected any chance of cooperation with Reyes Villa, who unsuccessfully ran for president within the 2002 and 2009 elections.
This week, Reyes Villa discussed his plans for the way forward for Bolivia on tv channel pink uno. He stated, “Earlier than speaking in regards to the financial plan for the nation, we should discuss order within the nation. The present economic-political mannequin is worn out, and we should transfer in direction of a combined economic system that seeks financial sovereignty.”
He added, “My logic is to export, export, and to deliver overseas forex into the nation,” particularly citing lithium as a solution to generate earnings, although he highlighted his need to take action “with out submitting to the impositions of the Worldwide Financial Fund.”
Reyes Villa additionally expressed his intention to place former president Evo Morales, who was accused of statutory rape and kidnapping earlier this 12 months, on trial. He stated, “If I change into president, Evo Morales should undergo justice. He has a major problem associated to the problem of statutory rape, and that can’t go unpunished.”
In 2009, Reyes Villa fled from Bolivia to america after the Cochabamba Prosecutor’s Workplace issued a warrant for his arrest. The warrant was issued after Reyes Villa and his spouse, Patricia Avilés missed a listening to concerning costs of fraudulent sale of personal property. On the time, Reyes Villa was the topic of a minimum of six lawsuits, in line with rfi.
In 2013, he was sentenced to 5 years in jail in absentia after being discovered responsible of “anti-economic conduct” throughout his tenure because the prefect of Cochabamba. He authorized consultancy plans for a freeway challenge regardless of important irregularities, which led to an financial lack of 1.6 million bolivianos (roughly USD $230,000), according to Opinión.
Reyes Villa returned to Bolivia after then interim President Jeanine Áñez took over following Morales’ resignation in 2019, in line with la Razón. He was then elected because the mayor of Cochabamba, and averted going to jail after his case was suspended, as reported by El Deber.
In 2022, he was sentenced to a month in jail for an expropriation that occurred over 25 years in the past. As explained by Europapress, the expropriation concerned a sum of USD $10,000, and Reyes was discovered to have dedicated a breach of responsibility for mishandling the transaction, together with failure to instantly pay the agreed sum for the expropriated land.
Bolivia’s 2025 presidential election is scheduled to happen on August 17, with the opportunity of a presidential runoff on October 19. Voting is obligatory for all residents over the age of 18.
