LA PAZ — Buildings were set alight in Bolivia’s capital La Paz overnight in apparent retaliatory attacks after Evo Morales, president since 2006, resigned under pressure from anger over his disputed re-election last month.
A report from the Organization of American States (OAS) released on Sunday had said the election should to be annulled and rerun because “clear manipulations” of the voting system called into question Morales’ win.
Soon after, Bolivia’s first indigenous leader said he was stepping down to ease the violence that has raged since the election on Oct. 20 — but repeated his argument that he had been the victim of a coup.
On Monday, the leftist stuck to his defiant tone, in comments that appeared unlikely to calm violence between his supporters and opposition activists.
“The world and our Bolivian patriots repudiate the coup,” Morales tweeted. “They moved me to tears. They never abandoned me; I will never abandon them.”
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See Also:
(1) Putin suffers crushing blow to South America dominance as Bolivia President ousted
(2) Evo Morales flees crisis-torn Bolivia after deadly clashes
