Moving further away from the Morales era, Bolivia appoints ambassador to Washington

Bolivia has appointed an ambassador to the United States on Tuesday, November 26, for the first time in eleven years, a break in the foreign policy of the Andean country after the departure of former socialist president Evo Morales.

The acting foreign minister, Karen Longaric, said she had "appointed the new ambassador (...) to the US government, Walter Oscar Serrate," who previously represented Bolivia at the United Nations.

This nomination, however, must still be approved by the Senate, where the representatives of the Movement to Socialism (MAS), the party of the former president, are in the majority.

El Gobierno self-proclaimed of #Bolivia restablece relaciones diplomáticas con #EstadosUnidos y designa como "nuevo Embajador Extraordinario con Representación Plenipotenciario ante el Gobierno de Estados Unidos de America a Walter Oscar Serrate Cuellar". Vía Cancillería Bolivia pic.twitter.com/Os6FYzoRFE

Evo Morales, who came to power in 2006 and was seeking a fourth term in late October, expelled US Ambassador Philip Goldberg in 2008 at the height of a diplomatic crisis with Washington.

>> To read: In Bolivia, the unknowns of the after-morals

The head of state accused the diplomat of supporting the anti-government demonstrations that had erupted in five of the nine departments of the country, and promoting "division" of Bolivia by holding meetings with opposition governors who, according to La Paz , supported separatist plans in the east.

Washington responded by expelling Bolivian ambassador Gustavo Guzman. Since then, both embassies were headed by Chargeurs d'Affaires.

A redesigned foreign policy

Evo Morales, who resigned on November 10 at the height of the post-electoral crisis and has since fled to Mexico, had privileged during his presidency relations with Iran, China, Russia, Cuba and Venezuela.

Quickly recognized by Washington as interim president, right-wing Senator Jeanine Añez, 52, immediately redesigned the Andean country's foreign policy. His first decision in this regard was to recognize Venezuelan opponent Juan Guaido as interim president of Venezuela, like fifty countries, led by the United States.

The new government has also dismissed all its ambassadors, appointed under the Morales presidency, with the exception of its representatives in Peru and the Vatican. Venezuelan diplomats were also fired.

Pro-Morale protests continue

While the situation seemed to be gradually normalizing in Bolivia after a month of crisis, the most radical supporters of Evo Morales continued demonstrating Tuesday in the Chapare, the stronghold of the former president, by blocking roads.

This group of peasants, who continue to recognize their "brother Evo" as their head of state, are "a radical sector that will be difficult to make clear that they must suspend" the movement, told journalists Andronico Rodriguez, 29-year-old vice-president of the coca growers union.

Right-wing Senator Jeanine Añez, who canceled the presidential election in late October, enacted a law on Sunday calling for new presidential and legislative elections meant to pacify the Andean country. Evo Morales will not be able to represent himself.

With AFP