WATCH Morales supporters tear-gassed in clashes with riot police as Bolivians protest unelected ‘interim president’ (VIDEO)
Flying national and indigenous flags and chanting pro-Morales slogans, the protest march met a forceful police response in Bolivia's administrative capital on Wednesday, facing down volleys of tear gas from armored security forces, dramatic footage captured by Ruptly shows.
Clashes break out at pro-#Morales indigenous march in #Bolivia pic.twitter.com/wWSAeGLEsj
— RT (@RT_com) November 13, 2019
The demonstrators, led by indigenous militia group Ponchos Rojos, were headed toward the presidential palace in downtown La Paz before the clashes broke out, in which protesters returned fire with rocks and other improvised projectiles. The chaotic scenes seemingly went unnoticed in western media.
Following Morales’ forced resignation and flight from Bolivia for political asylum in Mexico earlier this week, opposition Senator Jeanine Anez declared herself “interim president.” While opposition lawmakers argued Anez’s declaration was valid under the Bolivian constitution, the ousted president’s Movement for Socialism Party slammed the move as illegal and boycotted the legislature.
Morales resigned under pressure from top military officials after weeks of opposition protests over the result of October’s presidential election, in which the opposition, as well as the US-based Organization for American States (OAS), alleged “irregularities.” The socialist leader’s ouster has been hailed as a triumph for democracy by Washington and its partners in the OAS, though it did little to quell the unrest in Bolivia.
Speaking from Mexico on Wednesday after a sudden departure from his home country, Morales condemned the OAS for acting “in the service of the North American empire,” and said Anez’s move for the presidency only confirmed that he was pushed out of office in a “coup.” Nonetheless, he called for “national dialogue” to resolve the ongoing disorder.
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CLOSING WORDS
When your heart fills with desperation, frustration, and despair, contemplating the state of the world and what humans have done, think of Leonardo's example.
Known for his great generosity, Leonardo was in the habit of purchasing and releasing little birds. He was also one of the earliest known ethical vegetarians. According to Melzi, his longtime friend, principal heir and executor, he viewed the enslavement of animals for human profit and benefit as a form of great primitive injustice. And although many potentates sought his friendship and company, he remained a natural egalitarian. [/bg_collapse]
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