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A general strike, embroidered with new incidents, began Wednesday (October 23rd) to challenge the counting of Sunday's presidential election almost won the outgoing President Evo Morales, who denounced a "coup".
With our correspondent in La Paz , Alice Campaignolle
Bolivia is waiting for the final results of the presidential elections for three days now in a climate of tension . In the face of uncertainty and suspicion of fraud, there is opposition everywhere in the country. Clashes erupted Wednesday in Santa Cruz, blocked by the strike. In the streets of La Paz, it was both the opponents and supporters of Evo Morales who marched.
The supporters of the president want to show, too, that they are numerous and determined. " We tell them: they will not come back to power. Because it cost us to build Bolivia and we are very happy with the work done by our president Evo. "
Eusebia, present in the crowd, says like many others, that if there is a second round, she is ready to fight for Evo Morales, its president. " A second round, impossible, it will not happen Mesa. And then we are very well prepared. We the people of the countryside will block everything, we will let nothing enter the city, no potatoes or vegetables, nothing at all. "
In parallel with this concentration, which remained peaceful, opposition students gathered in the Electoral Court, which they still accused of fraud. " We are here to express our disagreement with everything that Evo Morales does, with the fraud he has put in place. He does not respect the real vote of the people. And it is absolutely false that we are against the vote of indigenous peoples, rural people, we are here because of fraud. "
"Permanent mobilization"
Opposition candidate Carlos Mesa, who is calling for a second round , has called for " permanent mobilization " to " defend the vote ". " I would like to tell you, Mr. Chairman, that we will not allow you to rob us for the second time of an election," he told his supporters . We will remain mobilized permanently until you recognize that a second round must take place. It is in this sense that the people spoke. "
" This call for mobilization is based on a democratic and peaceful, democratic and non-violent attitude ," the opponent said. I call on all the forces of the country, all political parties, civil society organizations, the National Committee for the Defense of Democracy, all important personalities of this country, to constitute a hard core to defend democracy. "
But both sides - opposition and supporters of Evo Morales - seem irreconcilable. And now, at almost 98% of the recounted votes, there are less than 10 points between the two main candidates. A second round should take place.