Tensions rise ahead of Bolivian presidential election as incumbent runs for fourth term in defiance of referendum

Evo Morales, with his shock of black hair and brightly embroidered jackets and ponchos, has ruled the landlocked Andean country for so long that for many, a Bolivia without Morales is almost inconceivable, analysts say. Despite this, the 59-year-old former coca farmer, who has been in power since 2006, is facing unprecedented opposition as he gears up for a heated presidential election later this month. Discontent over Morales's audacious bid for a fourth consecutive term has spilled into the streets with protests, a government building being set alight and national strikes. The controversy centres on Morales's response to a 2016 referendum in which voters narrowly rejected changing the constitution to remove presidential term limits, effectively barring him from seeking a fourth term.
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