Bolivia: Morales' leftist supporters denounce "coup d'etat"

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Bolivian President Evo Morales after the announcement of his resignation, November 10, 2019. REUTERS / Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Many Bolivian allies, including leaders of the Latin American left but also other countries of the world have described as "coup d'état" the events that led to the resignation of Bolivian President Evo Morales.

The leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, as well as Argentine President-elect Alberto Fernandez and former Brazilian President Lula , have all denounced a " coup " against Evo Morales, who resigned after weeks of protests against his reelection in October and dropped by the police and the army.

" We categorically condemn the coup against President Evo Morales, " the Venezuelan president wrote on Twitter.

The mafias fascistas están asaltando el poder in Bolivia, that casas of families of the presidente @evoespueblo, rulers there líderes social. It is a golpe of Estado that no loses to Evo haber llevado to Bolivia al mayor crecimiento económico y social of Latinoamérica. pic.twitter.com/Wx3vVCzysZ

This is a blow for Nicolas Maduro, because with the departure of Evo Morales, the Venezuelan president loses one of its main allies in Latin America, reports our correspondent in Caracas, Benjamin Delille . For the Venezuelan opposition on the contrary, the departure of Evo Morales could not be better. For Juan Guaidó, this resignation is a sign of a " democratic hurricane in Latin America " and he invites all Venezuelans to join him on the street, November 16, to imitate the Bolivians and Nicolas Maduro push to the exit.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also condemned the " violent and cowardly coup of the right against democracy in Bolivia ". " The world must mobilize for the life and freedom of Evo, " said Diaz-Canel on Twitter, with the hashtag #EvoNoEstasSolo (Evo, you're not alone).

Support from Spain and Russia

Another ally of Evo Morales, Nicaragua has " strongly condemned the coup " against the Bolivian president. " We demand that we respect our freedom, our physical integrity and our life, " said the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in a statement . The head of the Mexican diplomacy, Marcelo Ebrard, also described as a " coup " what happened in La Paz.

The Spanish government of Social Democrat Pedro Sanchez has also taken a stand. " Spain condemns the fact that the process opened for the calling of elections (Sunday by Evo Morales) was biased by the intervention of the armed forces and the police who asked Evo Morales to resign " said the Spanish Foreign Ministry in a statement. " This intervention (of the army and the police) brings us back to past eras of Latin American history ," the ministry added.

Moscow denounces the opposition violence that forced Morales to leave. " A wave of violence triggered by the opposition has prevented Morales from completing his presidential term ," said the Russian Foreign Ministry, saying the Bolivian government " wanted a solution based on political dialogue, but instead the events took a turn reminiscent of the scenario of a coup ", denounced Moscow.

Lula takes position in opposition to Bolsonaro

On the other side of the South American political spectrum, right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro attributed the fall of Evo Morales to the frauds committed by the Bolivian opposition in the October elections. " The denunciations of fraud have resulted in the resignation of the president, " wrote the Brazilian president on Twitter. But his leftist opponent, former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, released Friday from prison in a Supreme Court ruling, condemned a coup. " I have just learned that there was a coup in Bolivia and that comrade @evoespueblo was forced to resign, " Lula, who was a close ally of his presidency when he was president, wrote on Twitter. Evo Morales. " It is lamentable that Latin America has an economic elite that does not know how to accept democracy and the social inclusion of the poorest, " added Lula.

Acabo of saber that hove um golpe of estado na Bolívia e that o companheiro @evoespueblo faith obrigado a renunciar. E lamentável that América Latina tenha uma elite econômica that não saiba conviver com democracia e com has included social back but pobres.

Organization of American States calls for " respect for the law "

" The General Secretariat Calls for Peace and Respect for the Law " and calls for " an urgent meeting " of the Bolivian Parliament " to ensure the functioning of the institutions and appoint new electoral authorities to guarantee a new electoral process ", said the OEA in a statement. The organization, which brings together 35 countries in North America, the South and the Caribbean, also demands that " justice continues to investigate the responsibility for crimes committed " in the first round of the presidential election, October 20 .

(With AFP)

The notion [of coup d'etat] used today is a concept especially strategic to appeal to the support of Evo Morales. The coup d'etat in Latin America is traditionally a violent, illegal seizure of power, usually by the army. The army taking control of the entire state, the army that will suspend the constitution, the army that takes control of strategic institutions and ultimately controls the streets; and leads to a political system of elimination or even imprisonment of the opponents. Today what happens is that there is no seizure of power since the opposite is happening: there is a power vacuum ...

Analysis of Sebastian Urioste, research professor at the University of La Rochelle, specialist in Bolivia 11/11/2019 - by Anne Verdaguer Listen