MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivian opposition leader arrives in La Paz and will formally demand the resignation of president Morales

Luis Fernando Camacho, a civic leader from Santa Cruz, arrived at the capital's main airport and was whisked away in a convoy amid a huge security presence

Bolivian protest leader who has become a figurehead for opposition to President Evo Morales arrived on Wednesday in capital La Paz, where he plans to formally demand the leftist leader step down after a contentious election last month.

Luis Fernando Camacho, a civic leader from the eastern city of Santa Cruz, arrived at the capital's main airport in nearby El Alto and was whisked away in a convoy amid a huge security presence and with rival protest groups massing outside.

The gambit, after he was blocked from leaving the airport in a previous attempt to enter La Paz on Tuesday, has sparked a fierce backlash from government supporters, while seemingly helping rally a split opposition.

Camacho plans to march to the presidential palace to deliver a pre-written letter of resignation for Morales to sign.

The new attempt is likely to fan tensions, following weeks of protests and strikes since the Oct 20 vote. Hostilities have ramped up since Tuesday night in La Paz and Cochabamba, with clashes between Morales supporters and the opposition.

Carlos Mesa, the runner-up in the October election, was at the El Alto airport waiting for Camacho to arrive, along with ex-President Jorge Quiroga.

“I think this is a fundamental moment for the opposition that believes in a democratic response and a peaceful way out,” said Mesa, who has repeatedly raised allegations of fraud against Morales and called for new elections.

Morales, a socialist leader who has been in power since 2006, has defended his election win and said that the opposition is trying to lead a “coup” against him and that his rivals were inciting violence.

With little sign of a political solution, the standoff has worsened. On Wednesday, newspaper headlines decried the violence and pointed to an economic cost of US$167 million. “Bolivians against Bolivians” read the front page of one local daily.

Morales won last month's vote with a lead of just over 10 points over Mesa, handing the former coca grower an outright win and avoiding a second-round runoff. The victory, however, was marred by a near 24-hour halt in the count, which, when resumed, showed a sharp and unexplained shift in Morales' favor.