The Bolivian historian Loreto Correa recalled that the Chilean Foreign Ministry offered help to the authorities of Evo Morales after he left power in 2019. This, after the former highland president harshly criticized Teodoro Rivera, foreign minister during the second Piñera government, who pointed out against the arrest of Jeanine Áñez.
A Bolivian historian defended former Foreign Minister Teodoro Rivera from criticism by Evo Morales. The former highland president accused him of “attacking the sovereignty of Bolivia with lies.”
The conflict arose from a column published by the former minister of Sebastián Piñerain which criticized the conviction of Jeanine Áñez -who succeeded Morales in office- for breach of duties and resolutions contrary to the Constitution.
This publication infuriated Morales, who used his social networks to say that “the Chilean extreme right has no morals to talk about justice.”
Given this, the historian Loreto Correa recalled that Chile offered freedom of flight and fuel to the plane that would evacuate authorities linked to Morales in 2019after suddenly leaving power.
Chilean ex-chancellor criticizes condemnation of Jeanine Áñez
On June 30, Teodoro Rivera published a column in the Bolivian newspaper Página Siete, where he assures that the process against former senator Áñez “demonstrates a gradual and stealthy erosion of democratic institutions in Bolivia and an authoritarian use of legal mechanisms.”
The former Chilean foreign minister recalled that a 2016 referendum “rejected Evo Morales’ intention to re-apply for the presidency of Bolivia for the fourth time, but 12 months later, a sweeping ruling by the Plurinational Constitutional Court he twisted the popular will and, ignoring the express constitutional prohibition, enabled his re-election.”
After that, Evo Morales resigned from the Presidency and a process of social upheaval was experienced in Bolivia. “In this political vacuum, the then senator Jeanine Áñez Chávez assumed the constitutional presidency of her countrywhich was later ratified by the respective Constitutional Court,” said Rivera.
Áñez took on a one-year internship and handed over power to Luis Arce, former Minister of Economy of Moralesafter winning the 2020 presidential election.
“A few months ago (Áñez) was imprisoned, and days ago sentenced to ten years in prison. (…) The UN, the EU Parliament, the UN Committee Against Torture and various Western democracies were quick to point out that the process against Áñez had serious flaws,” the column indicates.
In this sense, the former minister affirms that “rather than do justice, they seek through it to frighten the opposition and civil society”.
“Since Chile and other States have recognized Jeanine Áñez as legitimate president, it is expected to represent our deep concern for her health and detention,” she adds.
Historian accuses Evo Morales of “having a bad memory”
Through its twitter accountEvo Morales harshly criticized Rivera’s writing, expressing that “The former foreign minister of the Pinochet right-wing attempts against the sovereignty of Bolivia with lies.”
“The Chilean extreme right has no morals to talk about justice”added the former president, who held the presidential chair for 13 years in a row.
The former foreign minister of the Pinochet right-wing attempts against the sovereignty of Bolivia with lies in a pro-Chilean newspaper in La Paz to defend the de facto government that massacred our brothers in Senkata and Sacaba. The Chilean extreme right has no morals to talk about justice
– Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) July 2, 2022
After this fiery message, the historian Loreto Correa replied to former President Morales through another column in the middle Page Seven.
“Morales has a bad memory about his departure from BoliviaThat is why it is convenient to remember an unknown episode that reveals the standards of respect for human rights that Chile practices as a State policy”, the text begins.
In this context, he explained that “Morales stranded in Cochabamba, after fleeing from La Paz in November 2019, The Chilean Foreign Ministry -on the instructions of former Foreign Minister Teodoro Ribera- contacted the Mexican government to offer freedom of flight and fuel in Chile to the plane that would evacuate authorities linked to Morales from Bolivia.
“Help was also offered to high-ranking Masista authorities, while violence was raging in Bolivia, and former Foreign Minister Ribera himself contacted leaders who were in hiding by satellite phone. Reduced is the memory of Evo”adds Correa.
Returning to the subject of Áñez, the historian asserts that “if Teodoro Ribera has made a statement for the behavior of the Bolivian justice with the former president, it is because this has crossed borders.”
“Bolivia cannot continue covering the sun with a finger. There are many Latin American organizations and authorities, former presidents from all over the political rainbow -also European democracies and international organizations- who see a wrong prosecution”, he concludes.