Military police coup？ American intervention？ The resignation of Bolivia’s leadership shook America.

　　[Global Times correspondent in Venezuela Zhang Weizhong Global Times correspondent Chen Xin] On the 10th local time, the Bolivian political situation changed dramatically: President Morales announced his resignation, and then the vice president, the speaker of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives and several senior government officials also announced their resignations. Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico and other countries believe that there has been a coup in Bolivia. Some analysts believe that the drastic changes in Bolivia are related to the political intervention of the Organization of American States (OAS). On the day Morales announced his resignation, OAS issued a report saying that there was fraud in Bolivia’s recent general election, suggesting that the results of this election should be abolished and the election should be held again. The commander-in-chief of Bolivia’s armed forces and the commander-in-chief of the police later issued separate statements demanding that Morales resign. Morales’ resignation did not improve the chaotic situation in the country that lasted for weeks. On the evening of the 10th local time, there were incidents of vandalism and looting in several cities, including La Paz.

　　The president was arrested?

　　According to Bolivia’s "Daily" and "Russia Today" TV stations, Morales said at a news conference on the 10th that Bolivia experienced violence and provocation provoked by supporters of the "defeated party" and confrontation among citizens. The leftist leader in South America, who has served for the longest time, said that he didn’t want domestic confrontation and resigned in order to maintain peace and restore social stability in Bolivia. "I decided to resign as president, so that Mesa (the former president of Bolivia and the rival of Morales) and Camacho (the leader of the Bolivian opposition) would stop persecuting Bolivian brothers and sisters and never let them get hurt."

　　After Morales announced his resignation, there was news in Bolivia that he was ordered to be arrested and fled. According to Sputnik news agency & radio, Bolivian Health Minister Montano said on the 10th that Bolivian police planned to arrest the former president, and Camacho also revealed this information. Morales confirmed on Twitter that he had been arrested. However, the commander-in-chief of the Bolivian police, Calderon, denied issuing an arrest warrant against Morales. In addition, it is reported that Morales intends to "escape" and may fly to Venezuela. In this regard, the former president said that he did not plan to leave Bolivia. "I don’t need to run away. I hope the Bolivian people know that I have not stolen anything. "

　　According to the Bolivian National News Agency, the Bolivian police arrested the president and vice president of the Supreme Electoral Court and the heads of some regional branches on the order of the Ministry of the Interior. They were accused of violating the electoral law as described in the OAS report. Jenny Anes, an opposition politician and the second deputy speaker of the Senate, told Bolivian newspaper Seven Pages that she would be the acting president. The Bolivian Constitution does not stipulate who will take over the presidency if the President, the Vice President, the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the First Deputy Speaker of the Senate all resign. Anes believes that after the resignation of the Speaker and the First Deputy Speaker of the Senate, she should be the Speaker of the Senate, so she should be the Acting President.

　　Foreign interference?

　　One of the most important factors contributing to Morales’ resignation is the Bolivian election audit report released by OAS10. According to media reports such as "Deutsche Welle", the Bolivian opposition did not recognize the results of the presidential and parliamentary elections held recently, and serious conflicts broke out between the supporters of the government and the opposition camps. Up to now, related activities have caused three deaths and hundreds of injuries. In order to quell political disputes, all parties in Bolivia invited OAS to review the election results. After OAS published the relevant report, Morales immediately announced that he would replace all members of the Supreme Electoral Court and hold a new general election. However, the opposition party demanded that he resign immediately. Subsequently, the Bolivian military also asked Morales to resign.

　　The American "Nation" magazine said that OAS was suspected of interfering in Bolivia’s general election under the pressure of the United States. According to the report, Morales was one of the few left-wing leaders in Latin America, and the US government has been committed to letting them step down. The US government has always supported the former Bolivian President Mesa, and has been hostile to the Bolivian government since Morales took office in 2005. The two countries have no longer maintained diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level since 2009. In addition, the United States government bears about 60% of the funds of OAS, which has been instructed by Washington to dictate the election results of other countries more than once. According to the report, when the first round of general election in Bolivia just ended, OAS questioned whether the general election was legal without evidence. The organization’s series of statements are consistent with the positions of the US government and some lawmakers, which has influenced some media reports and become a tool to discredit Bolivia’s election.

　　Multinational solidarity

　　According to Sputnik news agency & radio, after Morales resigned, many Latin American countries expressed their support for him. Venezuelan President Maduro said on Twitter that he "resolutely condemned" the coup against Morales. Diaz Canel, President of the Republic of Cuba, believes that Morales’ resignation is the result of a coup. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that Cuba called on all countries to support and protect Morales’ life and freedom. Mexican Foreign Minister Ebrard said that Mexico is willing to provide asylum if Morales needs it. According to the British "Daily Mail" report, even Labour Party leader Corbin expressed sympathy for Morales. He believes that "it is shocking that this person who brought great social progress was forced to step down by the military."

　　However, the Brazilian government believes that Morales’ stepping down was forced to resign under pressure, not being ousted in a coup. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling on all political forces in Bolivia to take responsibility and seek a constitutional solution to the current crisis. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that China hopes that all Bolivian parties concerned will resolve their differences peacefully within the framework of the Constitution and laws and restore social stability as soon as possible.

　　The struggle is not over yet.

　　According to the Bolivian media Razon, after Morales announced his resignation, riots and arson and attacks on officials’ houses continued in the administrative capital La Paz. Fifteen buses were burned. Morales’ house in Cochabamba was damaged. A business in El Alto, near La Paz, was set on fire and looted. Local residents in La Paz said in an interview with the Global Times on the 11th that there were incidents of vandalism and looting in some neighborhoods on the evening of the 10th. In order to avoid being targeted by mobs, many people were afraid to turn on the lights and light candles for washing at night. After Morales resigned, there was a power vacuum in Bolivia and the political prospect was uncertain, which made the people in the country very worried.

　　Qatar Al Jazeera said that the current political situation in Bolivia is very unstable, and the situation seems to continue to deteriorate. "If you don’t keep calm, a slightly angry Mars will ignite a fire." The British "Daily Mail" said that Morales is the idol of leftists in Latin America, and left-wing parties have a rising trend in some Latin American regions. Under this background, Morales’ stepping down may bring impact to the region.