MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia recognizes Palestine as an independent state with pre-1967 borders

President Evo Morales made the announcement at the Mercosur summit

President Evo Morales announced on Friday that Bolivia would recognize Palestine as an independent sovereign state. The Bolivian leader made the statement during the Mercosur summit in Brazil.

“Bolivia will address a letter to president Abbas recognizing Palestine as an independent sovereign state. Next week also we will be sending official statements to the different international organizations”, said Morales.

With the announcement, Bolivia joins the list of Latin American and South American countries, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela which have all recognized an independent Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders.

“Bolivia recognizes Palestine as an independent state along 1967 borders, together with Brazil and Argentina” President Morales said during the Mercosur summit.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the move and thanked the support of Morales. He also praised bilateral relations with the South American landlocked country. Abbas visited several South American countries with strong Palestinian communities in late November.

In early December, Brazil and Argentina recognized Palestine as a free and independent state within its borders prior to the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel openly criticized and condemned these acts and said that they did nothing to promote Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation.

Shortly afterward, Uruguay announced that it would also recognize a Palestinian state in 2011 and has plans to open an embassy in Ramallah.

Palestine negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Palestine people were most grateful to the “brotherly Bolivian people, and particularly President Evo Morales”. Recognizing Palestine is a great step on the right direction, in line with International Law and coherent with Latinamerican nations foreign policy”.