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.
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.
Bolivia's President Evo Morales claimed on Sunday his political rivals were preparing a coup d'etat next week as strike action and protests against his controversial re-election continued.
A final vote tally by Bolivia's electoral board gave President Evo Morales an outright win in the first-round election on Thursday, with 47.07% of ballots compared to 36.51% for runner-up Carlos Mesa, data on the board's website showed.
Bolivia's opposition launched a general strike on Wednesday amid protests and disturbances over disputed election results that pointed to another term for President Evo Morales, who likened the unrest to a right-wing coup.
Arson attacks, rioting, looting on Tuesday has extended to several Bolivian cities to protest the results of the country's presidential election process on Sunday, particularly since an oddly delayed official quick count showed President Evo Morales near an outright first-round victory — even as a more formal tally tended to show him heading for a risky runoff.