After his party came a distant third in elections, Marco Pumari hoped to prove that he was “not a coward” by inviting unhappy voters to his local town square so they could insult him in person rather than online.
The stunt backfired spectacularly. An angry crowd of hundreds descended on the historic centre of Potosi, Bolivia, armed with tomatoes, coins and other projectiles, which they hurled at the former union leader, jeering that he was a “traitor” and a “sell-out”. Eventually he had to seek police protection.
Mr Pumari had stood as running-mate for the right-wing presidential candidate Luis Fernando Camacho. Their party gained about 15 per cent of the national vote, which helped to split opposition to the socialist candidate, Luis Arce, ensuring his