The leftist leader rejected the ‘State of Emergency’ in place since June.

On Wednesday, former Bolivian President Evo Morales (2006-2019) lashed out at President Rodrigo Paz, accusing him of taking office by “accident” and rejecting the state of emergency that has been in effect since June. He addressed these issues at a gathering attended by thousands of his supporters in Ivirgarzama, in the Tropics of Cochabamba, a coca-growing area in central Bolivia.

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“We warned at the time that Rodrigo Paz was an accidental president, and now that has been proven. The people remember that for 14 years, public works projects were delivered every day. Now, every day brings a new act of corruption,” he said.

“Before, there was economic activity that benefited the people; now, only those in power and their families enrich themselves. The State of Emergency was decreed solely to steal and consolidate privatization,” Morales added and referred to the recent arrest of Fernando Cerimedo, a far-right Argentine political consultant involved in an assassination attempt.

“Yesterday, we learned that Fernando Cerimedo, who was really governing, had transferred more than 200 million soles to his digital account, and previously, his partner denounced that all shady dealings pass through the First Lady ‘one-stop shop’.”

“Similarly, it is public knowledge that there are ministers involved in illegal activities, but they are untouchable because they paid millions of soles to get their positions,” Morales pointed out.

“We demonstrated with commitment, awareness, effort, and hard work that a better Bolivia was possible, a Bolivia where nothing was lacking. We did politics for the homeland and future generations. Thanks to our democratic and cultural revolution, Bolivia was recognized and respected worldwide.”

“Now, with such widespread corruption, our country’s image has been severely damaged in the eyes of other nations, international organizations, and cooperation agencies,” Morales stressed.

“Before, we governed according to our Indigenous principle of ‘Don’t Steal, Don’t Lie, and Don’t Be Lazy,’ whereas Rodrigo Paz governs solely under the principle of ‘Doing Nothing’,” the founder of the Movement Towards Socialism stated.

The text reads: “The publication I posted clearly states that Javier Negre and his partner Fernando Cerimedo founded La Derecha Diario. Well, Negre claims to be his partner. What about this person detained in Bolivia, denounced by his partner for allegedly trying to murder her while she was pregnant? Ah, so Negre is trying to distance himself from him. Now, in fact, El Clarin says he was a partner when he was arrested, explained President Claudia Sheinbaum. La Derecha Diario has been a platform for generating opinions based on fake news, and for labeling a government or individuals. In particular, they have sought to interfere in Mexican politics from abroad.”

Morales also criticized the withdrawal of the diesel subsidy, a decision that prompted farmers to gather in Ivirgarzama, where several union leaders announced new mobilizations that they will seek to coordinate with other Bolivian regions.

Since October 2024, Morales has remained in the Tropics of Cochabamba, protected by Indigenous organizations to prevent an arrest warrant against him from being carried out. The warrant stems from an investigation into his alleged relationship with a minor with whom he allegedly had a daughter while he was president in 2016.

At the end of July, prosecutors ordered his arrest, also accusing Morales of terrorism and armed insurrection over his alleged involvement in the protests and road blockades demanding Paz’s resignation since May.

Those conflicts ended on June 20 after the Bolivian government reached agreements with some sectors and declared a 90-days State of Emergency, seeking to lift the road blockades. However, the recent partial withdrawal of the diesel subsidy has led farmers to threaten new road blockades.

In a new attempt to justify the ongoing State of Emergency, Presidency Minister Fernando Aramayo said the Paz administration adopted the measure for “humanitarian reasons” to guarantee supplies of fuel and food and to combat “narcoterrorism against the state.”

“And if this threat continues, the state of emergency will have to be extended. We cannot allow democratic guarantees and the full rule of law to be disrupted,” he vowed.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – X

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