LA PAZ, Bolivia (Dispatches) — Bolivia faced its worst unrest in decades amid a political vacuum Tuesday, while Evo Morales, who transformed the Andean nation as its first indigenous president, left the country following weeks of violent protests.
Morales flew out on a Mexican government plane late Monday hours after being granted asylum as his supporters and foes fought on the streets of the capital.
Morales stepped down Sunday following weeks of violent riots fed by allegations of electoral fraud in the Oct. 20 presidential election that he had won.
His departure came after what is seen by many as a dramatic coup against the one-time llama shepherd from the Bolivian highlands and former coca growers’ union leader who as president helped lift millions out poverty, increased social rights and presided over nearly 14 years of stability and high economic growth in South America’s poorest country.
"It pains me to leave the country for political reasons, but I’ll always be concerned,” Morales said on Twitter. "l’ll return soon, with more strength and energy.”
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard published a photo of Morales holding the flag of Mexico, saying that the plane had left Bolivia and that Morales was safe.
In an earlier tweet, Morales posted a photo of his first night after he resigned showing him lying on a floor with an improvised blanket as a bed. He said he had been forced into those conditions after a coup by the opposition.
Angry Bolivians set barricades ablaze to close some roads leading to the country’s main airport Monday, while his foes blocked most of the streets leading to the capital’s main square in front of Congress and the presidential palace. Police urged residents of La Paz to stay in their homes and authorities said the army would join in policing efforts to avoid an escalation of violence.
The Senate’s second vice president, opposition politician Jeanine Añez, said in an emotional address that she would take temporary control of the Senate, though it was unclear if she would be able to get approval from Congress. She would become next in line for the presidency if chosen to head the Senate.
"Please excuse me if my voice breaks,” Añez said between tears after arriving in Congress under heavy guard. "It’s so hard to see Bolivians clashing, no matter which side they’re on. They are being mistreated, and I’m asking you to cease the violence.”
Añez said she would convene a legislative session Tuesday to consider accepting the formal resignation of Morales. It was unclear, however, if lawmakers could meet that soon because of insecurity in the capital.
As tensions grew, local media reported that Morales supporters were marching on La Paz from the nearby city of El Alto, a Morales stronghold, to try to break the street blockades thrown up by his opponents and reach the capital’s main square.
Gen. Williams Kaliman, the chief of the armed forces, announced the joint police-military operation in a television address.
Rioters in downtown La Paz set tires and other barricades on fire as others went onto their rooftops to yell chants against Morales. Rock-throwing demonstrators also clashed in Cochabamba and other cities.
His presidency, the longest among serving leaders in the region and the longest ever in Bolivia, ended abruptly Sunday, hours after Morales had accepted calls for a new election by an Organization of American States team.
Morales stepped aside after the military chief called on him to quit, saying that was needed to restore peace and stability. His vice president also resigned as did the Senate president. The only other official listed by the constitution as a presidential successor, the head of the lower house, had resigned earlier.
Morales called the ouster a coup — a description echoed many leaders across the region worried at the military’s role in deciding who should be president.
Michael Shifter, head of the Washington-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue, warned that Bolivia’s polarization needs to healed by new leadership.
"The temptation for any vengeance against Morales supporters needs to be resisted,” Shifter said. "That would be a recipe for continued conflict and chaos that could well put at risk some of the country’s undeniable socio-economic gains over the past decade.”