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Some Bolivian Police Units Mutiny Police Units in Bolivian Cities Rebel Against President
(32 minutes later)
A number of police units in Bolivia’s main city La Paz mutinied and joined anti-government protests on Saturday, presenting a serious new threat to attempts by President Evo Morales to hold on to power after last month’s disputed elections. Bolivia’s President Evo Morales appeared to be losing his grip on power on Saturday as police units in major cities flipped their allegiance and joined anti-government protests, presenting the most serious threat yet to the president’s attempts to hold on to power after last month’s disputed elections.
Local media reported that the mutinies had spread to at least four other cities and state television broadcast images of police marching with protesters in at least one of those other major cities. “A coup is underway,” Mr. Morales said in a news conference on Saturday from his traditional stronghold in the city of El Alto, outside La Paz.
The government has so far not confronted the spreading police rebellion, attempting instead to minimize its scale and importance. On Friday, the country’s defense minister said the Armed Forces will remain in their barracks and no military action will be taken against the mutinied policeman. The developments raised the question whether the security forces more broadly were abandoning the president, something that would make it virtually impossible for him to remain in power.
Bolivia erupted in violent protests after Mr. Morales claimed to have won an unprecedented fourth term in office last month despite concerns from electoral observers over the validity of the results. The weekend’s events seriously escalated those tensions.
Police defected in Bolivia’s main city, La Paz, and in several other major cities. State television broadcast images of throngs of police, many of them still in uniform, marching with protesters.
Rebel police officers claimed to have taken over at least one regional governor’s office by Saturday, while another pro-government governor resigned, saying he feared for his life. One ruling party mayor had joined the opposition.
Mr. Morales called on the police to respect the law, his strongest direct acknowledgment yet of the spreading rebellion. He invited the country’s four main political parties to hold “urgent, immediate” talks. His call appeared to exclude the civic opposition leaders who have been spearheading the protests.
“We hope tonight to find peaceful solutions through dialogue,” Mr. Morales said.
The Associated Press reported that police guards outside the presidential palace in La Paz left their posts on Saturday, allowing anti-government protesters to walk up to the doors of the building. Mr. Morales was not in the compound when police retreated to their barracks.
Officials in the palace in La Paz were evacuated, leaving only a military presidential guard. Protesters moved peacefully to the doors of the compound, and later left the area.
Local media reported that the defections had spread to at least four other cities outside of La Paz.
Isabel Mercado, the director of Página Siete, one of the country’s main newspapers, said Saturday that Mr. Morales’s hold on power appeared to be slipping as the police mutiny grew and the leaders of the armed forces remained out of sight.Isabel Mercado, the director of Página Siete, one of the country’s main newspapers, said Saturday that Mr. Morales’s hold on power appeared to be slipping as the police mutiny grew and the leaders of the armed forces remained out of sight.
“Without the police and the armed forces, I think it’s very hard for him to hold on,” she said.“Without the police and the armed forces, I think it’s very hard for him to hold on,” she said.
On Saturday, uniformed police mixed with anti-government protesters outside the Presidential Palace in La Paz. Some police guards have abandoned their posts at several ministerial buildings and mutinied officers took over the old presidential palace, hanging national flags from its walls. Some police guards have abandoned their posts at several ministerial buildings and officers took over the old presidential palace, hanging national flags from its walls.
Bolivia erupted in violent protests after Mr. Morales claimed to have won an unprecedented fourth term in office last month, despite concerns from electoral observers over the validity of the results. The head of the vote auditing company contracted by the Bolivian government said Friday that the ballot counting process presented serious irregularities which prevented him from certifying the results. The head of the vote auditing company contracted by the Bolivian government said Friday that the ballot counting process presented serious irregularities which prevented him from certifying the results.
The mutinies marked an escalation of Bolivia’s postelection unrest, which so far has claimed the lives of three people. Protesters have clashed with security forces across the country and burned public buildings. Bolivia’s postelection unrest has so far claimed the lives of three people. Protesters have clashed with security forces across the country and burned public buildings.
A pro-government mayor in a small city in central Bolivia was kidnapped and marched through the streets barefoot and drenched with red paint in the past week.A pro-government mayor in a small city in central Bolivia was kidnapped and marched through the streets barefoot and drenched with red paint in the past week.
In a statement posted late Friday on Twitter, Mr. Morales sought to mobilize his supporters, warning that “our democracy is in peril” as a result of a “coup that was set in motion by violent groups that are threatening the constitutional order.”
Carlos Mesa, the former president who came second in the Oct. 20 election, said Mr. Morales is to blame for the unrest that has rattled the country in recent weeks.Carlos Mesa, the former president who came second in the Oct. 20 election, said Mr. Morales is to blame for the unrest that has rattled the country in recent weeks.
“The government is condemning itself to a disastrous exit,” Mr. Mesa told reporters on Saturday. “That’s what they deserve for not listening to the people.”“The government is condemning itself to a disastrous exit,” Mr. Mesa told reporters on Saturday. “That’s what they deserve for not listening to the people.”
The opposition claims the vote on October 20 was rigged. When initial vote tallies showed Mr. Morales had to face an uncertain second round of elections, the ballot count suddenly stopped.The opposition claims the vote on October 20 was rigged. When initial vote tallies showed Mr. Morales had to face an uncertain second round of elections, the ballot count suddenly stopped.
Election officials didn’t provide updates for nearly 24 hours without giving an explanation. When the results were finally updated, the initial trends were reversed, giving Mr. Morales just enough of a lead to avoid a runoff and spurring the opposition to take to the streets.Election officials didn’t provide updates for nearly 24 hours without giving an explanation. When the results were finally updated, the initial trends were reversed, giving Mr. Morales just enough of a lead to avoid a runoff and spurring the opposition to take to the streets.
“We want President Evo Morales to go,” the leader of Bolivia’s civic opposition, Luis Fernando Camacho, told reporters in La Paz on Friday. “We need him to go because we have decided so, because he has laughed at all of us.”“We want President Evo Morales to go,” the leader of Bolivia’s civic opposition, Luis Fernando Camacho, told reporters in La Paz on Friday. “We need him to go because we have decided so, because he has laughed at all of us.”
Ernesto Londoño contributed reporting from Rio de Janeiro.Ernesto Londoño contributed reporting from Rio de Janeiro.