Bolivia: In a climate of conflict, the Catholic Church calls for peace and dialogue

The Catholic Church in Bolivia was concerned about the current situation in the country, where it considered that a “culture of blockade” has been installed, with confrontations and tensions. In this framework, he called for peace, dialogue and the search for the common good.

Bolivia is experiencing days of tension following a march started on Tuesday, September 17 by former president Evo Morales to “save Bolivia.” Accompanied by thousands of followers, the leader of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) heads to the city of La Paz to protest against the management of the current president, Luis Arce, who in the past was his ally but is currently accused by Morales of blocking his candidacy for the 2025 presidential elections.

The mobilization denounces the country’s economic crisis, marked by the lack of dollars and fuel shortages, blaming Arce’s management for this. It is expected to arrive at the Government Headquarters on Monday, September 23.

The Arce government, for its part, has described this march as an attempted coup d’état, through which Morales seeks to force his return to power.

Given this situation, Father Diego Plá, deputy general secretary of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, expressed “deep concern” about the situation in the country and denounced a “culture of blockade.”

“In Bolivia, a culture of death has been established, a culture of blockade where pressure prevails, and what we want from the Church is to promote dialogue. It is urgent to sit down and promote unity,” he said in statements to Radio Panamericana, collected on the website of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference.

The priest identified that in recent years the situation in the country has worsened due to the lack of a spirit of constructive dialogue.

In this framework, he recalled that “the Church has always been willing to help and collaborate, as we did in 2019 when, under the figure of Bishop Eugenio Scarpellini, we managed to sit down the parties in conflict to reach agreements.”

However, he warned that this only occurs when both parties request intervention from the Church.

Father Plá observed the serious economic crisis in the country, with a sharp rise in prices, which translates into suffering for the population. In that sense, he considered it legitimate for people to express their demands, but warned: “we cannot continue confronting each other.”

“The blockades and violence only generate losses. We must break this destructive dynamic and seek solutions through dialogue,” she urged.

For this reason, he asked for the willingness to join forces for the common good. “It is not fair that an entire country remains in suspense. We have gotten out of worse situations before, and we can do it again,” he encouraged.

For its part, in interview with UNITELMonsignor Giovani Arana, general secretary of the CEB,

He pointed out that the Catholic Church has never imposed its role as mediator, but rather responds to the invitation of sectors that wish to resolve their differences through mutual understanding.

The prelate called on all social and political sectors to dialogue: “Now is the time to sit down and talk, offering viable solutions.”