On Tuesday, June 18, a training session was held at the Ombudsman's Office (Defensoria del Pueblo) for about thirty staff, including the Ombudsman Mr. Pedro Francisco Callisaya Aro and his two deputies, the Ombudsman Director of Human Rights, Jennifer Guachalla and members from the National Office, the El Alto and the La Paz departmental offices. The first part of the session focused on an analysis of the Bolivian context, presented by ECES Project Officer Rafael Loayza, marked by an increasing political and social polarisation that fuels high levels of conflict. In this setting, the crucial role of the Ombudsman's Office was emphasised as a key actor in prevention, intervention, and mediation in situations threatening fundamental rights. The second part of the training, delivered by ECES Senior Election Officer Carolina Floru, addressed the electoral cycle from a human rights perspective, analysing the various stages of the electoral process and the potential conflicts that may arise. Emphasis was placed on identifying endogenous factors—such as lack of transparency or disinformation—and exogenous factors—including social pressures or external interests—that could undermine the legitimacy of the process and social peace. Thirdly, ECES PRO-Elección Bolivia Project Coordinator Luis Castellar provided an introduction to the EU-funded (through the FPI instrument) project strategy and an outline of electoral conflict triggers across the Bolivian electoral cycle, as well as potential measures. The importance of the Ombudsman's Office maintaining active and strategic oversight throughout the entire electoral cycle was underscored to ensure the protection of civil and political rights.
As a result of the session, the Ombudsman and ECES agreed to further their collaboration in jointly analysing electoral conflict dynamics to build a shared scenario for early response. This approach will integrate human rights protection and promotion mechanisms into an institutional strategy that accompanies each phase of the electoral process, thereby strengthening the Ombudsman's Office’s ability to respond to emerging tensions and rights violations.
