23 people killed in Bolivia since political crisis began - human rights commission

crisis

BUENOS AIRES, November 17. /TASS/: At least 23 people have been killed, 715 more were injured in clashes since the beginning of the political crisis in Bolivia, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights informed on Saturday.

"Since yesterday (Friday - TASS), 9 people have been killed and 122 have been injured in the wake of clashes with police and armed forces. In total, 23 people have been killed since the beginning of the political crisis, 715 have been injured," the commission informed on Twitter.

Situation in Bolivia

A presidential election was held in Bolivia on October 20. The country's Supreme Electoral Court declared that incumbent President Evo Morales had won the vote. His main rival, former President Carlos Mesa, said that he did not recognize Morales' victory. After the results of the election had been announced, protests and strikes erupted across the South American country. Morales declared a state of emergency and accused the opposition of attempting to stage a coup.

On November 10, Morales announced his resignation, branding the recent developments as a coup d’·tat. He stepped down following the demands of the country’s armed forces, opposition and trade unions. On November 12, Morales arrived in Mexico, accepting an offer of political asylum. Meanwhile, the second vice president of Bolivia’s Senate, Jeanine Anez, declared herself interim president. The country’s Constitutional Court confirmed the legality of the transfer of power.

The protests in the country continued after Morales’ resignation. Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Michelle Bachelet noted that according to the UN, at least 17 people had been killed in demonstrations, with 14 deaths occurring in the past six days. "While the earlier deaths were mostly the result of violent confrontations between rival protesters, the most recent ones appear to be the result of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by the police and army," she said, calling on the interim government to adhere to the norms of international norms and guarantee the safety of Bolivian citizens.