US backs ousting of democratically-elected Bolivian president

Until recently, Evo Morales was the president of the Indigenous majority country Bolivia. The Aymara man and former coca farmer was renowned for having redistributed the wealth of his nation to poorer sectors of society, as well as removing dependence on Bretton Woods institutions.

The first Indigenous president of Bolivia since the Spanish invaded the Andean nation in the 16th century, Morales had held the presidential office since 2006. And his Movement for Socialism party was victorious in recent October national elections, taking out 47 percent of the vote.

But, vote rigging rumours began circulating. And in conducting an audit of the vote, the Organisation of the American States (OAS) claimed "irregularities", but produced no evidence of them. And a thorough paper from the Centre for Economic and Policy Research found no issues with the electoral process.

"Pachamama will never return. Today Christ is returning to government."

Right-wing protesters took to the streets en masse calling fraud on the election. Then on 10 November, it was announced Morales resigned, which was parroted by media around the globe, yet no one mentioned that armed military personnel were standing close by demanding his resignation.

Before an almost-empty chamber, Bible-waving conservative senator Jeanine Añez Chávez declared herself interim president of the South American nation on 12 November. Ms Chávez is notorious for having said Indigenous...

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