LA PAZ — A Bolivian protest leader has vowed to return to the capital and continue pushing for President Evo Morales' resignation after he left La Paz earlier on Tuesday as government supporters staked out an airport chanting for his removal from the airport.
Luis Fernando Camacho said he will travel to La Paz again on Wednesday after government officials blocked him from exiting the international airport outside the capital, where he planned to march with a pre-written resignation letter for Morales in an attempt to raise the heat on Bolivia's long-standing leftist leader.
Camacho, a civic leader who has become a major figure in the opposition, spent several hours holed up in the airport as pro-government demonstrators gathered, some carrying sticks, before an air force plane flew him back to Santa Cruz, the government said.
"Tomorrow at half past two in the afternoon, I will return to La Paz, and will do so every day until I can enter the government palace," Camacho told reporters after returning to Santa Cruz.
Morales' contentious election win last month has pushed the poor landlocked South American country into a democratic crisis with increasing pressure for him to step down or allow a new vote.
Morales won last month's vote with a lead of just over 10 points over his nearest rival, giving him an outright win. The victory was marred by a near 24-hour halt in the count, which, when resumed, showed a sharp and unexplained shift in his favor.
Formal election monitor, the Organization of American States (OAS), is doing a count audit, expected to be completed before the middle of the month. It had raised concerns after the count was halted and has recommended a second round vote.
Camacho said his supporters from El Alto and La Paz would be waiting for him when he returns to the capital on Wednesday to attempt the march again.
Government minister Carlos Romero said in a news conference that Camacho had been transported by the air force with police protection.
Meanwhile, the minister of economy said that payments of some social benefits were interrupted as protesters forced closure of some branches of the state bank after Camacho urged supporters on Monday to peacefully jam government institutions.
Bolivia's first indigenous leader, who came to power in 2006, has defended his election win and backed the OAS audit to resolve the crisis, which has seen blockades in cities and street clashes that have caused some deaths.
Morales was seen on state television joining pro-government demonstrators on the streets of La Paz. He tweeted a live video of the demonstrations, saying, "The Bolivian people defend democracy." — Reuters
