Carlos Mesa

Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert (born August 12, 1953) is a Bolivian historian and presidential candidate for this upcoming 2019 election in Bolivia. He was vice president of Bolivia from August 2002 to October 2003 and then became president, holding office from October 17, 2003 until his resignation on March 9, 2005. Mesa previously had been a television journalist. His widespread recognition prompted the MNR candidate Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada to pick him as running mate in the 2002 Bolivian presidential elections. The winning ticket of Sánchez-Mesa took possession on August 6, 2002. As vice president, Mesa quickly was put into a difficult situation when a wave of protests and strikes shut down Bolivia in a bitter dispute known as the Bolivian Gas War. The demonstrations eventually forced Sánchez de Lozada to resign, leaving Mesa as president. Mesa is currently a Bolivian spokesman in the Obligation to Negotiate Access to the Pacific Ocean case in the International Court of Justice. He is also a member of Washington D.C.-based think tank the Inter-American Dialogue.Mesa, a vocal critic of Evo Morales' presidency, announced his candidacy for Bolivia's 2019 presidential elections as part of the Revolutionary Leftist Front (FRI) party on October 6, 2018 (with Gustavo Pedraza as his running mate).