The Morales Paradox
Images of revolutionaries storming the residences of dictators they had toppled in places like Tunisia and Libya started to flash before my eyes. The minister asked me what I though of the house. “Honestly, it is a below average home,” I replied, as I showed her Google images of presidential palaces in some Arab countries. We continued our coverage of the events in Bolivia until the political rivals finally agreed to hold an election within months; albeit with Morales barred from running. The election was postponed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but eventually held after a year. The paradox was that former president Evo Morales’s ally, Luis Acre, won it with more votes than Morales secured in the earlier election he was accused of rigging.
Morales was living in exile in Argentina, where he refused to talk to the media, but made an exception for Al Jazeera. We headed to the residence in Buenos Aires granted to him by the Argentinian president, Alberto Fernandez. Morales received us, dressed in his usual simple style, and gave us an exclusive interview. After a year in exile, Morales returned to Bolivia and we covered his journey. As journalists we cannot take sides; we simply tell the story as it happens with objectivity and impartiality. To cover a leader being toppled and then his victorious return after a year is really something exceptional. What a paradox!
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