Regional leaders and organizations expressed Saturday their support and solidarity with Bolivian President Evo Morales after his government denounced that an attempted coup is underway by right-wing forces seeking to oust his leftist government after he was declared the winner of the Oct. 20 elections.
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"My full support to the president @evoespueblo in the face of this attempt to interrupt the constitutional order," Argentinian President-elect Alberto Fernandez said in a tweet Saturday night. "The region together with the international community, we must follow this situation closely and act in case of any event that implies an institutional breakdown."
The ALBA-TCP countries also issued a statement expressing "support for the Bolivian government and institutions and denouncing the attempted coup d'état in progress, while calling for the return to peace" and supporting Morales' call for dialogue with opposition parties.
The Cuban government also issued messages of support to the government of Bolivia and denouncing the coup attempt by right-wing forces.
"A coup d'etat is underway against the legitimate President of Bolivia,@evoespueblo," Cuba President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in a tweet. "The right-wing opposition refuses to recognize their defeat at the polls and resorts to violence against the constitutional order. We strongly denounce this coup attempt!"
The messages of solidarity came just hours before Bolivian President Evo Morales said Sunday that he was calling new presidential elections after a night of major unrest and violence across the country led by the right-wing opposition.
Saturday saw some of the most violent nights in the country as opposition protesters burned down the houses of two governors as well as the house of the sister of President Morales. Violent protesters also took over two state media outlets and threatening their staff. The signal of Bolivia TV was taken off air for more than eight hours.
Meanwhile, supporters of President Morales took to the streets in different cities across the country, saying that they wish to protect the nation's democracy and constitution against the attempted coup by the right-wing opposition.
Morales also called for calm and peace amid opposition protests and mobilizations, which have turned violent, against his victory in the Oct. 20 elections. "We all have the obligation to make Bolivia peaceful."
"I make a call of respect between families, of private properties, of authorities, of all the social sectors. All we have in Bolivia is the legacy of the people, and between Bolivians, we can't come against each other to inflict harm," the president said.
Morales made the announcement after consulting with different social movements in the country. he made the announcement of the new elections alongside Juan Carlos Guarachi, leader of the labor union federation (COB) and Segundina Flores, executive secretary of the Indigenous women organization Bartolinas.
His announcement also came shortly after the Organization of American States (OAS) issued its audit report on the elections of Oct. 20 in which it recommended the holding of new polls
Meanwhile, Bolivians living in Argentina, Germany and other countries around the world in support of President Morales and in rejection of right-wing violence.