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A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 11 noveMber 2019
Under pressure, Bolivian president calls for new election

By PAOLA FLORES sition leader and former
CARLOS VALDEZ President Carlos Mesa, said
Associated Press the OAS report showed
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Buck- "monstrous fraud," and he
ling under mounting pres- added that Morales "can't
sure, Bolivian President Evo be a candidate in new
Morales on Sunday called elections."
for a new election after his Morales did not say wheth-
claim to have won a fourth er he will run again.
term triggered fraud al- "The priority is to choose a
legations, deadly protests new electoral tribunal and
and dissension among se- figure out when we'll have
curity forces. the new elections," he told
South America's longest- local radio Panamericana.
serving leader made the Morales, 60, became the
announcement after a pre- first president from Bolivia's
liminary report by the Orga- indigenous population in
nization of American States 2006 and presided over a
found a "heap of observed commodities-fed econom-
irregularities" in the Oct. 20 ic boom in South America's
presidential contest and Bolivia's President Evo Morales looks on during a press conference in La Paz, Bolivia, Sunday, Nov. poorest country. The former
said a new vote should be 10, 2019. leader of a coca growers
held. Associated Press union, he paved roads,
The unrest that has left sent Bolivia's first satellite
three people dead and ties President Victor Borda for alleged fraud following and broke into cheers and into space and curbed in-
over 100 injured in clashes and three other pro-gov- the OAS report. applause in the streets as flation.
between supporters and ernment legislators an- Without mentioning the re- the OAS findings came out. But many who were once
opponents of Morales rep- nounced their resignations. port, Morales said he would "The battle has been won," excited by his fairy-tale rise
resents the biggest crisis in All said opposition support- replace the electoral tribu- said Waldo Albarracín, a have grown wary of his re-
the socialist leader's nearly ers had threatened their nal and urged all political public defender and ac- luctance to leave power.
14 years in power. families. parties to help bring peace tivist. "Now, the duty is to He ran for a fourth term af-
Adding to Bolivia's leader- Also Sunday, the attorney to the Andean nation. guarantee an ideal elec- ter refusing to abide by the
ship crisis, César Navarro, general's office said it will "We all have to pacify Bo- toral tribunal." results of a referendum that
the mines minister, as well investigate judges on the livia," he said. The man Morales claimed upheld term limits for the
as Chamber of Depu- Supreme Electoral Tribunal Bolivians honked car horns to have defeated, oppo- president.q

Freed Brazil ex-President tells crowd left can win in 2022

By MARIO LOBÃO Brazil's Supreme Court on ed, but Congress could
DIANE JEANTET Thursday ruled that a per- alter the constitution to
Associated Press son can be jailed only after change when convicted
SAO BERNARDO DO CAM- all appeals to higher courts criminals start serving their
PO, Brazil (AP) — Freed have been exhausted. Da sentences.
from prison, former Brazilian Silva was released the next Some Brazilian groups or-
President Luiz Inácio Lula day, after 19 months impris- ganized protests in dozens
da Silva told thousands of onment. of cities in support of the
jubilant supporters on Sat- He is still appealing his Bolsonaro administration,
urday that the left can take conviction related to the but turnout was low.
back the presidency in the alleged purchase of a Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo
2022 election. beachfront apartment and Bolsonaro, said on Twit-
Dressed in a black blazer remains entangled in other ter that da Silva's release
and T-shirt, da Silva spoke cases. He was also convict- will prompt people to set
from a stage outside the Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva acknowledg- ed by a lower court judge aside differences and unite
es supporters during a rally at the Metal Workers Union head-
union near Sao Paulo that quarters, in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Saturday, Nov. 9, in a case centered around against the Workers' Party,
he once led and that 2019. ownership of a farmhouse a sentiment which helped
served as the base for his Associated Press in Atibaia, outside Sao Pau- carry his father to the presi-
political career. The crowd lo. dency.
of red-clad supporters vative President Jair Bol- Trump, saying his border If he loses his appeals in ei- President Bolsonaro has
cheered and waved flags. sonaro, who won the 2018 wall plan is unacceptable ther conviction, he could refrained from making a
"We are going to do a lot of election after da Silva's and aimed at keeping out be locked up once again. statement about da Silva,
fighting. Fighting is not one conviction barred him from poor people. Da Silva has denied any but Saturday appeared to
day on, then three months running. Da Silva said Brazil- "Trump should resolve wrongdoing and accused allude to him on Twitter:
off, then back. Fighting is ians must accept the results Americans' problems and prosecutors and Sergio "Don't give ammunition to
every day," da Silva said. of the democratic election not bother Latin Americans. Moro, then a judge and the scoundrel, who is mo-
The 74-year-old former and work to defeat the "ul- He wasn't elected to be now justice minister, of ma- mentarily free, but loaded
leader said he would bring tra-right" in 2022. the world's sheriff," da Silva nipulating the case against with guilt."
the energy of a 30-year-old He also called for solidarity said. In a Twitter post on him. Da Silva said he had a mes-
to the streets. with fellow South American Friday, he said he backed Moro said on Twitter earlier sage for his opponents in
In his 45-minute speech, countries and lambast- U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders' that the Supreme Court's power: "I want to say to
he spoke briefly of conser- ed U.S. President Donald presidential campaign. decision should be respect- them: I'm back."q