STORY: Supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales have launched a campaign for null votes in the upcoming general elections.

Morales's exclusion from the ballot has sparked protests, with campaign offices established to promote null voting as a form of resistance. Social movements and activists have expressed dissatisfaction with the current candidates.

The campaign highlights divisions within Bolivia's left, as Morales's supporters aim to disrupt an election that, for the first time in nearly three decades, will proceed without his presence.

The election in Bolivia is set for August 17 and will be held amidst and economic crisis and a climate of institutional and political uncertainty.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: ETERAZAMA, COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA (AUGUST 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF TOWN LIFE / PEOPLE WALKING.

2. PUBLIC TRANSPORT STOP

3. VARIOUS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLE WITH POLITICAL BANNER CAMPAIGNING FOR NULL VOTE IN THE UPCOMING BOLIVIAN ELECTION

4. POLITICAL BANNER CAMPAIGNING FOR NULL VOTE IN THE UPCOMING BOLIVIAN ELECTION

5. VARIOUS OF MILITANTS CAMPAIGNING FOR NULL VOTE WITH BALLOTS MARKED WITH AN X IN THE CAMPAIGN OFFICE

6. VARIOUS OF MILITANTS HOLDING A BANNER CALLING FOR NULL VOTE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EVO MORALES’ SUPPORTER, MARIO CANO LUNA, SAYING:

"Right now, we are deciding because we don't see our candidate, our comrade Evo Morales, on the ballot. He's a legitimate indigenous representative, and the electoral body has blocked our right (to vote) for him in these elections. Therefore, this campaign office inaugurated two days ago is in protest. Hence, the null vote must win in these elections because there's general discontent among the population."

8. CAMPAIGN OFFICE FOR NULL VOTE

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EVO MORALES’ SUPPORTER, MARIO CANO LUNA, SAYING:

"Andronico Rodriguez cannot campaign in the sector because he betrayed the social movements. We don't forgive him, and he will practically go down in history as a great traitor."

IVIRGARZAMA, COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA (AUGUST 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. VARIOUS OF FORMER BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT, EVO MORALES AT THE RUNASUR CONGRESS ORGANIZED BY THE COCA GROWERS OF THE REGION (Ed’s note: RUNASUR, short for "Peoples of South America", is a proposal by Evo Morales for a new form of transnationalism regionalism in South America, specifically focused on indigenous peoples and plurinationality.)

11. MILITANTS WITH SHIRTS READING (Spanish): “Without Evo on the ballot, my vote is null”

12. VARIOUS OF EVO MORALES WITH THE WIPHALA FLAG, DANCING

13. SOCIAL MOVEMENTS SUPPORTING EVO MORALES PRESENT AT THE CONGRESS

14. MILITANT HOLDING A SIGN READING (Spanish): Null. Resistance vote, null vote, dignified vote”

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EVO MORALES’ SUPPORTER, CYNTHIA IRI, SAYING:

"Andronico has shown in five years that he did absolutely nothing for the people. He didn't even file a single corruption complaint about what he knew was happening in the government. Now he tries to deceive us by claiming to be an Evista, but he's not, because he didn't even protest against the attack on Evo Morales's life. He has betrayed the region because his line and proposal are also to hand over the region back to the Yankees, and surely the DEA and USAID will return, which cost so many lives to expel from our territory."

16. VARIOUS OF PROTEST WITH A SIGN READING (Spanish): Null. Resistance vote, null vote, dignified vote”

17. SUPPORTERS CHANTING (Spanish): “Null vote”

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEPUTY SUPPORTING EVO MORALES, FREDY MAMANI, SAYING:

"That's why it's important to tell the Bolivian people that we must unite now more than ever to nullify the general elections. If we have more than 50% of null and blank votes, these elections are illegitimate, and the president, whoever it may be, will be illegitimate and will not have the moral authority to govern our country."

19. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING EVO MORALES, HOLDING PHOTOGRAPHS OF EVO MORALES