Movement for Socialism (Bolivia)

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The Movement toward Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS) is a left-wing Bolivian party led by Evo Morales, founded in 1997. At the 2002 general election, the party came in second place with 19.4% of the valid presidential vote and 14.6% of the valid uninominal vote, which gave it 27 out of 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and eight out of 27 seats in the Senate. This was a surprising upset for Bolivia's traditional parties. Morales credited U.S. ambassador Manuel Rocha for the success of MAS: "Every statement [Rocha] made against us helped us to grow and awaken the conscience of the people."

In the 2005 general election, Evo Morales was again the movement's presidential candidate. He won a clear majority with 53.7% of the valid presidential vote and 43.5% of the valid uninominal vote, which gave it 72 out of 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 12 out of 27 seats in the Senate. In the 2005 prefect elections, MAS campaigned for all nine department prefectures (governorships), but only won three: Chuquisaca (43%), Oruro (41.0%), and Potosí (42.7%).

MAS evolved out of the movement to defend the interests of coca planters. Evo Morales has articulated the goals of his party and popular organizations as the need to achieve national unity, and to develop a new hydrocarbon law which guarantees 50 percent of revenue to Bolivia, although political leaders of MAS recently interviewed showed interest in complete nationalization of the gas and oil industries.