LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Clashes and roadblocks rocked Bolivia on Monday following the resignation of former President Evo Morales, with crowds of his jubilant foes celebrating with firecrackers in the streets and a tearful opposition leader laying out a possible path toward new elections.
Morales stepped down Sunday following weeks of massive protests, but the resignation of every constitutionally designated successor left unclear who will take his place and how.
Angry supporters of the socialist leader set barricades ablaze to block some roads leading to the country’s main airport as tension gripped the nation, while his foes blocked most of the streets leading to the country’s main square in front of Congress and the presidential palace.
Opposition politician and Senate second vice-president Jeanine Añez said in an emotional address that she would take temporary control of the Senate, but it was unclear if she would need approval from the national assembly, which is controlled by Morales supporters.
She also said she would convene a legislative session today to consider accepting the formal resignation of Morales, and new presidential elections could soon follow. It was unclear, however, if the national assembly could meet that soon because of the continuing insecurity in the capital.
“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,” said Añez, who would be next in line for the nation’s presidency given the void in leadership.
Meanwhile, Morales lashed out at his political opponents, calling it a return to the bleak era of coups d’etat overseen by Latin American militaries that long dominated the region. “(Opponents) lie and try to blame us for the chaos and violence that they provoked,” Morales tweeted Monday.
His nearly 14-year presidency abruptly ended Sunday, hours after he had accepted calls for a new election by an Organization of American States team that found a “heap of observed irregularities” in the Oct. 20 election whose official result showed Morales getting just enough votes to avoid a runoff against a united opposition.
Morales stepped aside only after the military chief, Gen. Williams Kaliman, called on him to quit to allow the restoration of peace and stability. It wasn’t immediately clear who would succeed Morales, or how his successor would be chosen.
His vice president also resigned as did the Senate president, who was next in line. The only other official listed by the constitution as a successor, the head of the lower house, had resigned earlier.
Meanwhile, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard announced Monday that Mexico had granted an asylum request from Morales. Ebrard did not say whether Morales had gone to the Mexican Embassy or ambassador’s residence in La Paz, as more than 20 other members of Bolivia’s executive and legislative branches have done.
The European Union called for calm, saying it stood ready to send election observers to monitor any new polls if a request is made.
“If the conditions are right, we will be ready to work on it,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said. She added that credible elections could be held soon, “most importantly, avoiding any form of violence from any side, and showing a level of statesmanship that is needed in this moment.”
Bolivian opposition leader Carlos Mesa said Morales was brought down by a popular uprising, not the military, countering Morales’ claim he was the victim of a coup. The military made a decision not to deploy in the streets because “they didn’t want to take lives,” Mesa said.
There were no immediate signs the military itself was maneuvering for power, although analysts warned the power vacuum opened up space for the military to potentially step in.
“I think we have to keep a close eye on what the military does over the next few hours,” said Jennifer Cyr, associate professor of political science and Latin American studies at the University of Arizona. “Are they overstepping their role?”
The first member of Bolivia’s indigenous population to become president, Morales brought unusual stability and economic progress, helping to cut poverty and inequality in the impoverished nation. He remains deeply popular among many Bolivians, and his backers have clashed with opposition demonstrators in the disturbances that followed the October vote.
The leadership crisis escalated in the hours leading up to Morales’ resignation. Two government ministers in charge of mines and hydrocarbons, the Chamber of Deputies president and three other pro-government legislators announced their resignations. Some said opposition supporters had threatened their families.