Bolivia: Evo Morales returns from exile the day after the investiture of his dolphin

After a year of exile, the figure of the South American left returns home.

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales returned to the country for the first time on Monday, November 9, a year after resigning and leaving the country in November 2019 following contestation of his re-election to a fourth term.

He returned to Bolivia the day after the investiture as president of his dolphin Luis Arce.

"A part of my life remains in Argentina," said the former president before crossing on foot the cross-border bridge that connects the city of La Quiaca, in northern Argentina, with that of Villazon, in southern Argentina. Bolivia, AFP journalists noted.

Again on the Argentine side, he was accompanied by center-left president Alberto Fernandez.

The latter attended, Sunday, November 8, the investiture of the new Bolivian president, the socialist Luis Arce.

Exile in Argentina

After having first fled to Mexico, Evo Morales took refuge in Argentina.

"Thank you very much, my brother Alberto," said the former Bolivian head of state.

Hundreds of people, including many Native Americans in their traditional colorful outfits, had gathered at the border at dawn to wait for the "father of Bolivia".

The former Bolivian president (2006-2019) will now embark on a journey of a thousand kilometers by road to his stronghold of Chimoré, in the department of Cochabamba (Center).

Repeating that he has abandoned politics and that he is resuming a peasant life, the former head of state, who will be accompanied by around "800 vehicles" according to the organizers, is expected on Wednesday, November 10 in this city, one year to the day after his departure from Bolivia.

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After the October 2019 presidential election, in which he was running for a fourth term, and the confusion surrounding the results giving him the winner, the opposition cried out fraud.

The streets had been stormed and the army had finally released Evo Morales, who had taken refuge in Chimore, before leaving the country for Mexico.

He then went into exile in Argentina.

Luis Arce, his former Minister of the Economy, was elected president on October 18 in the first round with 55% of the vote, ending a year of right-wing interim government.

With AFP

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