Penal code changes will not kill off Bolivia protests

Significance

The repeal will help defuse an issue that has provoked widespread demonstrations recently. Yet the opposition plans to ramp up protests over Morales’s determination to run for president again next year, an issue Morales studiously avoided in his annual ‘state of the nation’ speech to parliament on January 22.

Impacts

• A revised penal code will delay steps to make judicial procedures more efficient.
• Business groups will oppose any sustained effort to disrupt the flow of goods and services.
• A further year of growth, aided by improved oil prices, will help maintain government support.