Leonardo Loza Labeled Mario Cronembold as 'evo Morales's Personal Clown'

Coca grower senator Leonardo Loza, whom former president Evo Morales once called "my soul brother," starred in a new chapter of political tensions by harshly attacking the former mayor of Warnes, Mario Cronembold, whom he labeled a "traitor" and said "is not important because he only entertained Evo." Loza, who attended a meeting in Plan Tres Mil to socialize the agreement between the evismo and the Frente Para la Victoria (FPV), assured that Morales is "qualified" as a candidate and that his militancy remains intact.

He also announced that more than one hundred thousand supporters will arrive in La Paz to force Morales's registration, even willing to besiege Plaza Avaroa until they achieve it. In his speech, Loza not only lashed out at Cronembold, he also criticized the vocal Tahuichi Tahuichi, whom he called a "traitor and racist" for allegedly selling out to external political interests. Loza lamented that an indigenous person like Tahuichi acts against the interests of the evismo and announced that the organizations of Chapare are preparing an operation to support Morales. He also assured that more than ten thousand guards protect the coca grower leader in Lauca Ñ.

The senator also referred to the false opponent Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, whom he called a "loser" and recalled his support as vice president of Hugo Banzer. Loza highlighted that Quiroga had proposed debating with Morales in Chapare, which, according to him, would be an implicit acknowledgment that Morales is qualified as a candidate. These statements are framed in a context of growing polarization within the ruling party, where factions close to Morales and President Luis Arce have shown public differences.

Amid these tensions, the "plan B" to nominate Andrónico Rodríguez as a presidential candidate, in case Morales can't be registered, has divided the urban evismo sector of Santa Cruz. While former mayor Mario Cronembold and Darwin Choquerive support this option, evismo leader Reynaldo Ezequiel flatly rejects it, calling its promoters "traitors and opportunists." Ezequiel insisted that the "only candidate is Evo Morales" and accused Choquerive of pushing Rodríguez's candidacy under government pressure.

Loza is Evo's 'plan b'

Meanwhile, Mario Cronembold revealed that he recently spoke with Morales about this issue. According to him, the former president expressed his disagreement with the option of Andrónico Rodríguez and defended Leonardo Loza as a better alternative. "That's called internal democracy, no one should be upset," said Cronembold, who respects Morales's stance but maintains his support for Rodríguez. Andrónico Rodríguez, meanwhile, asked Morales not to feel jealous and to be proud of the young people who follow in his footsteps.

Loza also criticized the current government, accusing it of launching a communication campaign against Morales using state resources. He denounced a "waste of money" and contrasted Morales's administration with the current one, stating that during his government "police officers were not shot" and that now the agents are "unprotected." These statements reflect the climate of confrontation within the ruling party, where accusations and disqualifications seem to be the order of the day.

The insistence of the evismo on forcing Evo Morales's registration as a candidate, even through massive mobilizations and pressure on institutions, is far from being a democratic exercise. More than politics, this strategy seems an authoritarian imposition that seeks to bypass the rules and silence dissenting voices within and outside the MAS. Democracy is not built by besieging squares or disqualifying those who think differently, but through dialogue, respect for institutions, and the willingness to accept that no leader is indispensable. In a country that has fought to consolidate its political system, these actions are not a step toward the future but a regression to practices that have little to do with true citizen participation.