This archive report was first published on 13 November 2019.
La Paz, Bolivia - November 12, 2019
More than two days after President Evo Morales stepped down under pressure, Senator Jeanine Añez Chavez stood before the national assembly on Tuesday and declared herself interim president, citing the need to pacify the country.
"I assume the presidency immediately and will do everything necessary to pacify the country," Añez said, as fireworks echoed across La Paz and other major cities.
Her declaration came after Morales accepted an asylum offer in Mexico and vowed to return, denouncing his ouster as a coup. The move has left Bolivia in a leaderless power vacuum, with many Bolivians welcoming Añez's declaration as a potential end to the political standstill.
However, it remains unclear whether Añez's claim to power will be accepted by Morales' supporters in the legislature, the population at large, or the military.
Some analysts have praised Añez's move as necessary, given the boycott of the scheduled session by Morales' party members. "Añez, along with congressmen of both chambers, are abiding by their constitutional duties and are taking measures to secure the constitutional succession of power," said Carlos Aramayo Raña, a Bolivian political scientist.
As the country teeters on the brink of chaos, Bolivians remain sharply divided in their political views and hopes for the future. Morales, who was first elected in 2006, was the first Indigenous president of Bolivia, where about two-thirds of the population are of Indigenous descent.
While some, like Rosario Siñane, a 39-year-old street vendor, expressed support for Morales, others, like José Ariel Blanco, a 25-year-old stationery store owner, welcomed Añez's declaration as a chance for a new beginning.
Blanco said Morales had achieved great things, but had also bent the rules of democracy. "The Venezuelan and Cuban models don't work over time," he said.
As the situation in Bolivia continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the country is at a crossroads, and the path forward is uncertain.
