As Bolivian forests burn, President Evo Morales' bet on Big Farming comes under fire

SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA/LA PAZ - In the tropical Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a wealthy farming hub on the edge on the Amazon rainforest, President Evo Morales gathered with ranchers late last month to celebrate a maiden shipment of beef to China.

The Bolivian fires, which mirror those burning across swathes of Brazil, threaten to derail Morales' bid for a fourth consecutive term in office and another five years of"Evonomics," his brand of capitalism mixed with socialist state intervention. "Before it was going to be hard for him to find support from undecided voters. Now it's going to be much harder," said political analyst Marcelo Arequipa."It's looking complicated for him."Morales' support for farming has surprised some.

Morales' chances of electoral success might now hinge on whether the outrage over the fires can be leveraged by main rival Carlos Mesa. Some recent opinion polls indicate Mesa could triumph in a potential second round run-off. But he has become less unpopular among farmers since he announced a plan in 2013 to triple Bolivia's farm land to 13 million hectares by 2025 - a target some say is only possible by destroying large swathes of forest.

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