Deposed Bolivian leader Morales promises his nation 'I'll be back' within a year

New York Times
Wed, 25 Dec 2019 19:26 UTC

© Reuters / Agustin Marcarian

Evo Morales gestures during an interiew with Reuters in Buenos Aires

Ousted Bolivian leader Evo Morales told Reuters he plans to return to his home country by next Christmas, after going into exile in neighboring Argentina following a disputed election.

In an interview in Buenos Aires, where Morales found refuge after a highly-contested bid for a fourth term in October, the South American socialist icon said he is helping his party prepare for an upcoming special election.

Members of his Movement for Socialism (MAS) coalition will get together in Buenos Aires on Sunday to start choosing their candidates. Asked about his own plans, and whether he would return to Bolivia by this time next year, Morales said there was no doubt about it: "I'll be back."

"For reasons of security I can't go into detail about the plan we have for returning to Bolivia. But one has to go back to one's country," he said.

He said he was sure his coalition would win back the presidency. Morales' victory in the October election was annulled because of irregularities detected by international auditors. The scandal sparked deadly riots and forced Morales to resign and leave Bolivia in mid-November.

He denies any wrongdoing and said his only regret was not having early intelligence about the what he calls the coup that ousted him. "We were surprised due to lack of information," he said.

"I'm very sorry that neither the intelligence of the Bolivian police nor the armed forces warned us that there was a coup on the way," Morales added.

Lawmakers have appointed an electoral tribunal expected to set a date by Jan. 2 for new elections within 120 days.

Prosecutors have meanwhile issued an arrest warrant against Morales for sedition, terrorism and terrorist financing, promoted by the government of interim President Jeanine Anez, a former senator and opponent of Morales.

Morales has ruled out running as a candidate himself and has named Luis Arce Catacora, his former economy minister, and Andronico Rodriguez, a key coca farmer union boss, as potential MAS presidential candidates.

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His journey from the Presidential Palace in La Paz to exile in Argentina has been a rocky one. One of Latin America's last remaining leftist leaders, Morales resigned from the presidency and went into hiding in November, under pressure from his once-loyal military leaders. Morales had been accused of election fraud by the opposition, yet his offer of fresh elections did not placate his opponents.

From there, he traveled first to Mexico, and then to Argentina, where newly elected President Alberto Fernandez granted him political asylum. Bolivia's interim government, headed by right-wing Senator Jeanine Anez, issued an arrest warrant for Morales last week, claiming that his calls for protest amounted to "sedition and terrorism," and promising to jail the exiled socialist "for the rest of his life."

Despite Morales' absence, his Movement for Socialism (MAS) party has been gearing up to contest fresh elections next year. Though he has ruled out running as a candidate himself, the party has chosen Morales to organize its campaign from abroad. Members of the organization will gather in Buenos Aires on Sunday to start choosing their candidates.

Morales told reporters he is confident the party will win the elections, which are expected to be held within the first 120 days of next year.

The coup against Morales was a classic CIA operation, with the twin goals of installing a puppet government and securing the country's valuable lithium mines (which Morales had nationalized) for the Empire. The usurper Jeanine Áñez, who is a fundamentalist "Christian" fanatic, has also declared war on Bolivia's indigenous people, calling them 'satanic'.

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• Bolivia: What happens to the lithium industry without Morales?
• Bolivia Coup Led by Christian Fascist Paramilitary Leader And Millionaire - With Foreign Support
• New president of Bolivia Jeanine Áñez undoes 10 years of policy progress in 7 days
• Bolivia's U.S. appointed president has given the military a license to kill protestors
• Bolivian AG orders arrest of ousted president Morales for 'terrorism'