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Russia Reacts to Bolivia's Political Turmoil

Charles Maynes

   MOSCOW - The political crisis in Bolivia -- where roiling street
   protests amid accusations of election fraud forced the resignation of
   longtime President Evo Morales this week -- is exposing long-held
   differences within Russia's own political system, with pro-Kremlin and
   opposition voices splitting along familiar dividing lines.

   As the events in La Paz unfolded, Russia's Foreign Ministry was quick
   to express support for Morales, a Kremlin ally who has [1]paid repeated
   visits to Moscow, most recently in July to expand economic ties.

   In a statement posted to its website, the [2]ministry condemned
   violence "unleashed by the opposition" and blamed it for
   preventingMorales from "completing his tenure" amid "developments
   typical of a well-orchestrated coup d'etat."

   "It would be foolish to expect another reaction -- it's absolutely the
   consolidated position from the Russian side," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
   Peskov said, when asked by journalists about the Foreign Ministry's
   assessment.

   "Of course, [3]we hope that Bolivians themselves will determine their
   fate without the interference of any third countries," he said.

References

   1. https://apnews.com/792c7ab267254a26a598d0f374fe0630
   2. http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894088
   3. https://rg.ru/2019/11/11/v-kremle-prokommentirovali-situaciiu-v-bolivii.html

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