Bolivian government rejects Morales ultimatum for cabinet reshuffle

Bolivia's government on Tuesday rejected an ultimatum by ex-president Evo Morales to replace its cabinet ministers or face the wrath of his followers, thousands of whom had joined him in a weeklong march to the capital.

Led by Morales, the group of mainly Indigenous Bolivians arrived in La Paz Monday at the end of a nearly 200-kilometer (124-mile) "March to save Bolivia" against incumbent leader Luis Arce.

At the end point, Morales addressed the crowd, giving Arce 24 hours to replace his cabinet, accusing ministers of being corrupt and racist.

He also demanded the government act speedily to resolve the country's chronic fuel shortage, failing which "the mobilizations will continue."

Morales, a former coca grower who became Bolivia's first Indigenous president in 2006, was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution to seek a fourth term.

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He went on to claim victory in a 2019 election marked by allegations of fraud but was forced to resign after losing the support of the military.

Morales wants to challenge Arce to become the ruling MAS party candidate for presidential elections next August but the courts have so far barred him from doing so.

Arce has accused Morales, whom he had served as economy minister, of plotting to overthrow him.

Over the course of the march on La Paz, his supporters clashed repeatedly with backers of Arce in unrest that left 34 people injured, according to the authorities.

Bolivia's foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday that Morales had threatened the country's "democratic order," and rejected his demands.

Bolivia, a country rich in gas and lithium -- key for electric battery manufacturing -- has been battling fuel and dollar shortages since last year.

Source: AFP