Mexico grants political asylum to Evo Morales for "humanitarian reasons"

The Government of Mexico granted political asylum this Monday toEvo Morales by"Humanitarian reasons", as reported by the Mexican Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard.

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico announced, in a press conference, that Evo Morales requested asylum through a telephone call, and that his request was accepted.

"The Mexican Foreign Ministry, after consultation with the Ministry of the Interior, has decided to grant him political asylum for humanitarian reasons and by virtue of the emergency situation he is facing in Bolivia, where his life and integrity are at risk," said the senior Mexican official. , which alreadyOn Sunday he had mentioned that possibility.

During his speech, Ebrard declared that the Mexican Government interprets what happened in Bolivia as "a coup d'état."

“The Bolivian army asked for the president's resignation and President Evo Morales decided to present his resignation to avoid a civil war, therefore it is a coup, because the army asked for the president's resignation and that violates the constitutional order,” he explained.

“Mexico would not accept a military government... What happened yesterday is a setback for the entire continent,” added the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

This morning, the Foreign Ministry reported that around twenty politicians had been welcomed at the Mexican Embassy in La Paz, but the names were not released for security reasons.

In addition to Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Uruguay and the elected president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, have described the succession of events in the South American nation as a "coup d'état."

Other Latin American countries showed their concern, but avoided using the term and raised the urgent need to hold free democratic elections, which represent a transition towards peace.

The Legislative Assembly of Bolivia plans to meet this Tuesday to discuss the resignation of Evo Morales and elect his successor, after a growing number of resignations that have left the opposition facing the possibility of assuming an interim government, and calling presidential elections in 90 days.

The opposition senator,Janine Añez, second vice president of the Senate, assumed ownership of that Chamber after the resignation of the ruling party Adriana Salvatierra, and announced that she will call the session on Tuesday.