Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Monday that his government viewed Sunday's events in Bolivia as a "coup" because the Bolivian military
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Monday that his government viewed Sunday’s events in Bolivia as a “coup” because the Bolivian military had broken with the constitutional order by pressing the South American country’s president to step down.
“It’s a coup because the army requested the resignation of the president, and that violates the constitutional order of that country,” Ebrard told reporters.
The minister was speaking at a regular government news conference after Evo Morales, Bolivia’s president since 2006, resigned under pressure from anger over his disputed re-election last month.
Turkey voices concern over political unrest in Bolivia
Turkey on Monday expressed concern over the political unrest in Bolivia in the wake of the president’s stepping down.“Turkey attaches importance to the principle that governments come into power through a democratic process,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.“In this context, Turkey is deeply concerned over the developments in Bolivia that have resulted in the resignation of President Evo Morales,” it said.The ministry voiced hope that the tension in the country is reduced, the life returns to normalcy and the democracy prevails in Bolivia in line with the choice of Bolivian people to reestablish peace, tranquility, and stability through renewed elections.In Bolivia’s Oct. 20 presidential polls, Morales gained 47.8% of the vote, securing victory in the first round. But when the opposition claimed fraud, some parties urged supporters to take to the streets.After the opposition called for the polls to be cancelled, Morales announced there would be new elections, but opposition supporters said they would continue protests until an election was held without him.On Sunday, in a televised address, Bolivian Army chief Williams Kaliman called on Morales to step down.Morales said a “coup” had been carried out against him, and he resigned to prevent the opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho and Carlos Mesa, a former president, from issuing further instructions to their supporters to attack Bolivians.
Brazil’s Lula blames elites for ‘coup’ in Bolivia
Former Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has blamed the elites of Bolivia for the resignation of its president Evo Morales.”I just heard that there was a coup d’état in Bolivia and that fellow @evoespueblo [Evo Morales] was forced to resign. It is unfortunate that Latin America has an economic elite that does not know how to live with democracy and the social inclusion of the poorest,” he said on Twitter late Sunday.The iconic leader of Worker’s Party, who ruled Brazil from 2003 to 2010, was released from prison on Friday after Brazilian Supreme Court decided to end mandatory imprisonment for convicted criminals after they lose their first appeal, which led to the release of dozens of high-profile convicts, including Lula.The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega also issued a statement in support of Morales, who stepped down on Sunday on the call of the country’s army chief Williams Kaliman amid protests over a disputed election on Oct. 20.“The Government of Nicaragua denounces and strongly condemns the coup d’etat that was realized today,” the socialist government said.“We express our rejection and repudiation of fascist practices that ignore the constitution, laws and institutionalism that govern the democratic life of nations,” the statement added.Russia, Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico have also stood in solidarity with Morales, calling the circumstances in which he resigned a “coup”.Mexico on Sunday said it was offering asylum to Morales after 20 government officials and lawmakers had sought refuge at its embassy in La Paz.In a statement Sunday, Morales said he resigned to prevent possible harm to the opposition and Bolivian people and underlined that he did not have any reason to flee the country.Stressing that he would continue fighting for peace and equality, he said: “This doesn’t end here.”Morales, a former cocalero [coca leaf grower] activist, said he ruled the country for over 13 years and those who lost against him in elections accused him of dictatorship.Born to an indigenous Aymara family of farmers in Isallawi, Orinoca Canton, Morales undertook a basic education and spent most of his life defending the rights of campesinos (farmers) against imperialism.Bolivia has been mired in political unrest following alleged irregularities in presidential elections held Oct. 20 in which international monitoring organizations claimed to have found the manipulation of the voting system.Morales, who has been at the helm since 2006, received 47.8% of the vote and secured victory in the first round of the polls.Carlos Mesa, leader of the main opposition Revolutionary Left Front party, said he would not recognize Morales’ victory, claiming there was “fraud” in the vote count.
Morales said Bolivian patriots, world reject coup
Bolivia’s Indigenous leader Evo Morales Monday said the Bolivian patriots and the international community are rejecting the coup taking place in the Latin American nation.”[Carlos] Mesa and [Luis Fernando] Camacho, discriminators and conspirators go down in history as racist and putschists,” Morales tweeted. He called on opposition leader Camacho, president of the right-wing Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee, and Mesa, a former president of Bolivia to “assume responsibility to pacify the country and ensure political stability and peaceful coexistence of our people.””Bolivian patriots and the world repudiate the coup,” he said.Morales also thanked Bolivian people, brotherly countries of Bolivia and the world for their solidarity.On Oct. 20, President Morales won the first round of presidential elections with 47.8%, however the opposition claimed there was fraud.Morales resigned on Sunday following Bolivian Army Chief Williams Kaliman’s call to step down in nationwide address.
Russia ‘alarmed’ over situation in Bolivia
Russia said on Monday it was “alarmed” by the “dramatic development of events” in Bolivia.In an online statement, the country’s Foreign Ministry backed Bolivian President Evo Morales, underlining that the government’s was readiness to seek “constructive solutions through dialogue” had been “crushed by the opposition in an orchestrated coup”.”We are alarmed by the dramatic developments in Bolivia, where the wave of violence, unleashed by the opposition, prevented the completion of Evo Morales’s presidential mandate.”We call on all political forces of Bolivia to common sense and responsibility, finding a constitutional way out of the situation in the interests of peace, tranquility, restoration of manageability of the state institutions, the rights of all citizens and socio-economic development,” said the statement.Presidential polls were held in Bolivia on Oct. 20 and Morales obtained 47.8% of the vote, securing victory in the first round. However, the opposition claimed that fraud had been committed and some parties urged supporters to take to the streets.After the opposition called for the polls to be cancelled, Morales announced there would be new elections, but opposition supporters said they would continue protests until an election without Morales was held.On Sunday, Bolivian Army Chief Williams Kaliman called on Morales to step down in a nationwide address broadcast live.Morales said he resigned and that a “coup” had been carried out against him. He said he made the decision to prevent Camacho and Carlos Mesa, a former president of Bolivia, from issuing further instructions to their supporters to attack Bolivians.
Former US senator hints at CIA role in Bolivia
A former U.S. senator has sarcastically criticized the CIA for the military coup in Bolivia, hinting U.S. involvement in the downfall of elected president Evo Morales on Sunday.”Congratulations on winning power in Bolivia, @CIA!” Mike Gravel said on Twitter on Sunday, in an apparent hit at the global spy agency.The Democratic former Alaska Senator has long criticized the U.S. policies in Latin America.”The lie you will hear ad nauseum is that socialist states failed spontaneously – in reality it was the concerted effort of the US Imperial Machine to crush any nation that could oppose them any time it appeared,” he tweeted in May.The only reaction to the political developments in Bolivia came from the Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar who took to Twitter to define what happened in Bolivia as a “coup”. Omar urged American lawmakers to “unequivocally oppose political violence in Bolivia”.”There’s a word for the President of a country being pushed out by the military. It’s called a coup. Bolivians deserve free and fair elections,” Omar, a Democrat, added on Twitter.Bolivia’s former president on Sunday said an “illegal arrest warrant” had been issued against him and that his house was attacked by a mob following his forced resignation.Speaking on social media, Morales said the “coup plotters” razed Bolivian democracy to the ground.Opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho, president of the right-wing Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee, confirmed on his Twitter account that an arrest warrant was out for Morales.He said security forces were searching for Morales and that the military had seized the presidential plane.Presidential polls were held in Bolivia on Oct. 20 with Morales obtaining 47.8% of the vote, securing victory in the first round. Opposition accused the government of committing fraud, with some parties urging supporters to take to the streets.After the opposition called for the polls to be canceling the polls, Morales announced there would be new elections, but opposition supporters said they would continue protests until an election without Morales was held.On Sunday, Bolivian Army Chief Williams Kaliman called on Morales to step down in a nationwide address broadcast live.Morales said he resigned and a “coup” had been carried out against him. He said he made the decision to prevent Camacho and Carlos Mesa, a former president of Bolivia, from issuing further instructions to their supporters to attack Bolivians.
EU calls for ‘restraint’ in Bolivia
The EU on Monday called for “restraint” in Bolivia amid political unrest in the country.”I would like to express clearly our wish that all parties in the country exercise restraint and responsibility and lead the country peacefully and quietly to new, credible elections that let the people of Bolivia express their democratic will,” EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters.On Oct. 20, President Evo Morales won the first round of presidential elections with 47.8%. However, the opposition claimed there had been election fraud.Morales resigned on Sunday following Bolivian Army Chief Williams Kaliman call on him to step down in nationwide address.Mogherini’s remarks came ahead of EU Foreign Affairs Council, where the foreign ministers will address the situation in Afghanistan.”We will also have a discussion with the ministers on the security situation in the Gulf, looking in particular at the European Union contribution to de-escalate tensions,” she added.Mogherini said Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok will attend the meeting in which they will discuss how the EU can accompany the peace process and the recovery of the country.