Former Bolivian President Morales Arrives In Argentina As Refugee - Top Argentine Diplomat

Former Bolivian President Morales Arrives in Argentina as Refugee - Top Argentine Diplomat

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales, ousted amid the ongoing political crisis in the country, on Thursday has landed in Argentina, where he is expected to receive a refugee status, Argentine Foreign Minister Felipe Sola announced

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2019) Former Bolivian President Evo Morales, ousted amid the ongoing political crisis in the country, on Thursday has landed in Argentina, where he is expected to receive a refugee status, Argentine Foreign Minister Felipe Sola announced.

"He [Morales] has just arrived at the international terminal of Ezeiza International Airport [in Buenos Aires] and I think he has come to stay," Sola told Argentina's TN broadcaster.

Sola added that Morales arrived in the country together with former Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera after the Argentine Foreign Ministry granted them asylum the day before. The Argentine Interior Ministry will process their refugee status in the next few hours, he said.

According to Sola, once Morales' refugee status is confirmed, he will be prohibited from making political statements.

"We want Evo [Morales] to compromise and refrain from political statements in Argentina. This is the condition we asked from him," the foreign minister said.

In October, Morales claimed victory in the election that would launch his fourth consecutive presidential term in Bolivia. The opposition challenged his victory, claiming multiple violations during the vote. As violent protests flared up across the nation, Morales stepped down and fled to Mexico.

Opposition lawmaker Jeanine Anez then took over as an interim president, while Morales and his party Movement for Socialism (MAS) described the situation as a coup. She also pledges to hold a new election and ensure that Morales not be allowed to run for the fourth consecutive term. The new vote is now scheduled to take place in mid-March.

The MAS, in the meantime, chose the fugitive former president to head its election campaign.

Last week, Morales left Mexico, where he was granted asylum after fleeing Bolivia, to travel to Cuba for medical treatment. His children have been in Argentina for several weeks now.