Morales asks Pope Francis, UN to help steer Bolivia out of crisis

Morales asks Pope Francis, UN to help steer Bolivia out of crisis
# 14 November 2019 15:57 (UTC +04:00)

Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales has called on the Catholic Church, the United Nations and European countries to act as mediators in the dialogue with his opponents to resolve the political crisis in the South American country, APA reports citing TASS.

"I ask international organizations, such as the UN, friendly European countries and the Catholic Church represented by brother Pope Francis, to join our dialogue to pacify our beloved Bolivia. Violence poses a threat to life and social peace," he wrote in a Twitter post.

Morales earlier called for a dialogue that would involve all social society movements, civic organizations and political parties.

The 2019 presidential election was held in Bolivia on October 20. According to Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Evo Morales won the election. His main rival, ex-president Carlos Mesa, said he would not recognize Morales' victory in the first round. After the vote results were announced, protests began.

The army, opposition and trade unions demanded that Morales step down. On November 10, the president announced his resignation, describing these developments as a coup.

On Tuesday, Morales arrived in Mexico where he had been granted political asylum. Meanwhile, Bolivian senator Jeanine Anez declared herself the country’s interim president. Bolivia’s Constitutional Court backed the handover of power.

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