Under President Evo Morales, Bolivia has been a less-than-stellar performer. He recently lost a national referendum seeking to allow him to run for another term.
The main reason for the loss: his former mistress, employed by a Chinese firm doing business with the Bolivian government, was thought to have exerted undue influence in obtaining contracts. She also bore him a child which he claims has died and she claims is alive.
Now the former mistress, her defense attorney and her aunt are all under arrest, charged with corruption. And Morales threatens to hold a second referendum because he didn't like the results of the first.
Poor Bolivia appears headed down the drain, suffering from Latin America's traditional bad government. See a New York Times editorial for details, its snarky headline:
"The Worst Boyfriend in Bolivia."
