The White House issued a statement today from president Donald Trump on yesterday’s ouster of Bolivian president Evo Morales. In the statement, Trump applauds the developments in Bolivia, and says that what happened to Morales sends “a strong signal” to Venezuela’s Maduro and Nicaragua’s Ortega.
Part of the statement reads:
The United States applauds the Bolivian people for demanding freedom and the Bolivian military for abiding by its oath to protect not just a single person, but Bolivia’s constitution. These events send a strong signal to the illegitimate regimes in Venezuela and Nicaragua that democracy and the will of the people will always prevail.
The statement concludes with the following:
We are now one step closer to a completely democratic, prosperous, and free Western Hemisphere.
Morales resigned from office yesterday a short while after the head of the country’s military forces, General Williams Kaliman, “suggested” that he do so in a televised address. Morales had been embroiled in controversy amid widespread allegations that he had committed fraud in the country’s most recent presidential elections.
Morales was a close ally of both the Maduro and Chavez governments. Caracas is calling Morales’ ouster a “coup d’etat”.
November 16 Protests Take New Meaning
Following Morales’ ouster in Bolivia, the nationwide protests scheduled for November 16 are likely to take on a new meaning.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido spoke on the developments in Bolivia through his Twitter account today, saying:
[First tweet] The winds of freedom, justice and democracy are blowing in Venezuela from Bolivia, where every sector together with the citizenry, through sustained and constant protests with a goal all met to demand the removal of the person who committed fraud [Morales], and free elections.
Looking forward to November 16, Guaido said:
[Second tweet] An important factor in this process was the role of the Armed Forces, the police, and civil servants. My message to civil and uniformed servants in our country is that Venezuela comes above all else. That’s why we’re calling on everyone to raise the flag together on [November 16].
Opposition leader Juan Guaido has been calling for the protests since October.
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