The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Bolivia on Wednesday, strongly condemned the acts of violence that have been recorded in various parts of the country over the last days and made an urgent call for calm.
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.
A Bolivian protest leader vowed on Tuesday to intensify pressure on President Evo Morales to resign as he resisted opposition demands that he step down over contentious election results. Luis Fernando Camacho, a civic leader who has become a major figure in the opposition, said he would lead a protest march in the capital on Wednesday and push for Morales’ resignation.
Following a presentation by Bolivian foreign minister Diego Pary to an extraordinary session of the Organization of American States' (OAS) permanent council in Washington, the following declaration was issued:
A civic leader urged Bolivians to “paralyze” government institutions and block the borders as protests sparked by the contentious election victory last month of President Evo Morales entered their third week on Monday.
A helicopter carrying Bolivia's President Evo Morales made an emergency landing Monday due to a mechanical problem, the military said, raising suspicions among his supporters after opponents vowed to oust him.
Bolivia's chief opposition leader on Sunday called for new elections to resolve the political crisis engulfing the nation since a disputed Oct 20 vote that Bolivian authorities said was won by leftist President Evo Morales, sparking protests.
Bolivia was set to start a politically charged review of its recent presidential election on Thursday, as the country contended with fresh protests and street clashes that left at least two dead and others injured. The Organization of American States was expected to conduct the audit of the fiercely contested October 20 vote, which handed President Evo Morales a first-round win.
The United Nations on Tuesday called for an urgent de-escalation of tensions in Bolivia, where rival supporters of President Evo Morales and opposition leader Carlos Mesa have clashed since a disputed election.
Street battles broke out on Monday between supporters of President Evo Morales and opposition leader Carlos Mesa as protests against alleged electoral fraud in Bolivia entered a second week.