This footage was filmed and produced 31 March 2024.

Evo Morales on Sunday challenged President Luis Arce, both of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), to submit to closed primaries to define who will be the party's candidate for the 2025 presidential elections, amid growing tensions in the ruling bloc.

The former Bolivian president (2006-2019) said on his Sunday programme on coca growers' radio station Kawsachun Coca, "Let's submit to the militants legally registered with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and let the people decide who their candidate is: Evo, Arce or another candidacy".

Morales called for "avoiding any problems" in the MAS and "seeking unity" in the organisation without internal party struggles between "evistas" or "arcistas", as the followers of the former president and the current Bolivian head of state are known.

SOUNDBITE: Evo Morales
"They kept repeating 'Evo is disqualified', this is to demoralise, scare and make the Bolivian people doubt. National and international jurists ratify 'Evo is qualified as candidate 2025-2030'. Post bicentenary, new programme, 2025-2030, that is our responsibility."