Bolivia’s Morales calls for calm after protesters demand military junta

Source: AFP Published: 2020/10/28 16:48:41

Bolivian President Evo Morales speaks in a press conference in the city of El Alto, Bolivia, Nov. 10, 2019. (Enzo De Luca/ABI/Handout via Xinhua)

Exiled former Bolivian president Evo Morales called for calm on Tuesday after several hundred right-wing protesters demanded that a "military junta" replace socialist president-elect Luis Arce.

On Monday, hundreds of demonstrators marched to military barracks in the eastern city of Santa Cruz - a right-wing stronghold - and called for "military help" to prevent the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party from regaining power following a year under conservative Jeanine Anez's interim government.

Morales wrote on Twitter, however, that "the constitution is very clear on the role of the armed forces and the Bolivian police: We, as we always have done, will respect them as institutions."

"We must all act calmly in a constitutional way."

Bolivia has been in political crisis for a year after Morales stood for and won a fourth successive term as president, even though leaders are limited to two terms.

Following weeks of protest and an Organization of American States (OAS) audit, Morales resigned and fled the country and Anez assumed the presidency.

New elections were held on October 18 with Arce - from Morales' MAS party - romping to victory.

The electoral tribunal, Anez and four observer missions, including the OAS, have all confirmed the election was clean and transparent.

Arce claimed more than 55 percent of the vote with centrist former president Carlos Mesa a distant second on just under 29 percent.

But Monday's protesters do not trust the result. One protester told the newspaper that he wanted "a transitional military government until it's possible to hold elections without fraud."

Santa Cruz is the stronghold of right-wing civic leader Luis Fernando Camacho, who led protests against Morales in 2019 and finished third in the recent election with 14 percent. Morales was barred from standing in the election.

Bolivia is waiting to see when Morales will return from exile in Argentina after a judge on Monday lifted a preventative detention order against him. On Tuesday he said he will "possibly" return by November 9.

AFP

Posted in: AMERICAS

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