On July 22, 2025, ECES project PRO-Election Bolivia delivered a presentation on electoral conflict triggers and political polarisation in the context of the Bolivian electoral process. The presentation was delivered by project Coordinator and Senior Project Officer Luis Castellar and and project, monitoring, evaluation, and communication officer Rafael Loayza to two key audiences: the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) Bolivia 2025 and the network of international NGOs active in Bolivia (CONGI).
The first session was held with representatives of the EU EOM deployed to observe the 2025 general elections. Participants included political analyst Camille Forite, legal analyst Petra Sulovka, and media analyst Pedro de Alzaga. The presentation, provided an analysis of political polarisation and potential triggers of electoral conflict and violence throughout the Bolivian electoral cycle. This engagement marked the second formal interaction with the EU EOM, following a previous welcome meeting with Deputy Chief Observer Alex Grey. Both the EU EOM Bolivia 2025, responsible for electoral observation, and ECES PRO-Election Bolivia, which delivers electoral technical assistance, operate under the European Union’s broader support to the Bolivian electoral process for 2025/26, funded through the Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI).
Later the same day, the ECES team delivered a second session to members of CONGI, the coordination network of international NGOs working in Bolivia. The session focused on the same thematic analysis, exploring the structural and contextual factors that may lead to electoral conflict in the run-up to and following the elections. The presentation was followed by a dynamic Q&A session, during which participants expressed appreciation for the relevance and utility of the findings, noting their importance for shaping their respective strategies and interventions related to the electoral process.
30 July 2025
