"This book makes a vital contribution to the struggles of the peoples of the Americas to defend themselves against the coup d'etats that anti-democratic elites of the hemisphere have unleashed again, albeit cloaked in new garments. Paraguay in 2012, Brazil in 2016 and 2018, Bolivia in 2019 all suffered coups, with intensifying violence, revealing that slaveholding, racist, and colonial legacies are still very much alive among the wealthiest in the region. The victory of Bolivia's popular movements-courageous, heroic and swift-resulting in the extraordinary victory of Lucho Arce and the return of Evo Morales' MAS party in 2020, serve as an inspiring example for neighboring states. Once again the lesson is clear: whenever the will of the people may be expressed freely through the ballot, proposals that lead to greater equality, more just distribution of income and vigorous efforts to combat hunger and poverty will prevail. But this is possible only with robust popular participation in the decision-making process." -Luiz In¡cio Lula da Silva, former-President of Brazil
"Farthing and Becker have presented a critical and cogent analysis of Bolivia's ongoing experience with progressive rule as well as lessons that are applicable to other governments with similar ideological orientations in Latin America and beyond." -Socialism and Democracy
"Coup tells the story of Bolivia's MAS Party, the ousting of its popular indigenous president Evo Morales and the following wave of abuses committed by the authoritarian ±ez regime. The book is a vital contribution to our understanding of how reactionary forces leveraged a bogus claim of fraud to overthrow the elected president. It is essential reading for those committed to democracy and social justice in the Americas. Coup highlights the need to remain on alert in electoral times and serves as a warning about the cunning preparation of coups d'©tats. Today's coups are more sophisticated than those of previous decades, but they are equally ruthless and equally dangerous." -Madres de la Plaza de Mayo-Linea Fundadora, mothers of Argentina's disappeared
"In the international media discourse that emerged in late 2019 after Evo Morales was forced into exile and Jeanine ±ez declared herself president of Bolivia, some voices remained conspicuously absent: those of the Bolivians living through the turmoil. Farthing and Becker set out to challenge this trend, crafting a narrative based on the testimony of dozens of Bolivian activists, political figures, and intellectuals. Stitched together in a compelling and lucid narrative, the insights of those on the ground-not only about the brutal right-wing repression under ±ez but also about both the advances and shortcomings of Morales's time in power-provide the clearest picture yet of what happened in Bolivia in 2019." -Dr. Christy Thornton, Assistant Professor Johns Hopkins University and former Executive Director of the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
"Coup is a comprehensive account of the democratic disruption that Bolivia suffered in 2019. With remarkable handling of sources, Linda Farthing and Thomas Becker present a critical vision of Bolivia as well as the political, social and democratic challenges the country faces. Captivating read!" -Eduardo Rodriguez Veltz©, former-President of Bolivia
"Future historians will look back at the reversal of Bolivia's 2019 coup as an event equal in importance to Fidel Castro's defeat of the U.S.-organized invasion at the Bay of Pigs. Linda Farthing and Thomas Becker have provided us with an indispensable analysis to the sources of the conflict and how the forces of hope triumphed." -Greg Grandin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America
"Measured and methodical, Farthing and Becker's ana
