The President of Bolivia Evo Morales resigned from office due to persistent violent protests and is currently seeking for Political Asylum in Mexico. This took place on Monday after he accepted an offer of political asylum in the wake of what he described as a “coup” against him by the country’s military and opposition.
The former president departed a day after his resignation as president — a move which followed military intervention amid mass protests sparked by allegations of “serious irregularities” during the last month’s election.
He said in a tweet late Monday that he was leaving for Mexico, but will soon “return with more strength and energy.” “Sisters and brothers,’’ he said, I leave for Mexico, grateful for the detachment of the government of that brother town that gave us asylum to take care of our lives,” “It hurts to leave the country for political reasons, but I will always be alert.”
Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican Foreign Minister confirmed in a tweet on Monday night that Morales had boarded a Mexican government plane and that it had departed. In his words, “the Mexican Air Force plane with Evo Morales on board has already taken off. In line with existing international conventions he is under the protection of Mexico. His life and integrity are secure,”
However, violent clashes and disorder is still going on throughout the administrative capital La Paz, as three people have died and hundreds have been injured since the protest began.
On Monday, the head of the Bolivian Armed Forces, Gen. Williams Kaliman, announced in a televised address that the military will carry out “joint operations” with police in order to “avoid blood and grief.” Kaliman said the armed forces will use force “proportionally” against “vandal groups that cause terror in the population.” He added that the military will “never open fire” on the Bolivian population Gen. Vladimir Calderón, the head of Bolivia’s national police, said at the same press conference that the joint operation “will end when peace is established throughout the Bolivian people.”
Former president Carlos Mesa, who was Morales’ closest rival in the disputed election, expressed hope of forming a new government following the announcement of joint military-police operations.He called on Bolivians to “not harass” security forces because “without them there is no new government” in an interview with CNN on Monday.
On the other hand, Pro-Evo Morales protesters blocked the street of El Alto on November 11 2019, a day after the resignation of president Evo Morales.
On Sunday, the Organization of American States (OAS) — a Washington-based forum — published an article which shows indiscretions that obstructed the official vote count. As a result of the article, Morales at first promised that new elections would be held and the country’s electoral council replaced. Prominent left-wing US politicians have also criticized his removal, with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders who says he was “very concerned about what appears to be a coup in Bolivia, where the military, after weeks of political uprising, intervened to remove President Evo Morales.” He said, “The US must call for an end to violence and support Bolivia’s democratic institutions,”
People took to the streets of La Paz to celebrate the resignation of Morales on November 10, 2019. Many questions left unanswered as who will be in charge to replace Morales.Three officials next in the presidential line of succession, including Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, all resigned on Sunday. The second vice president of Bolivia’s senate, Jeanine Anez, said she is willing to become the president of the senate, which would make her next in line for the presidency. Though it is still unclear if Anez, an opposition lawmaker, will be able to take that office or if new elections will be held as Morales had suggested before being forced out.
