Bolivian President Says US Tries To Prevent Him From Running For 4th Term

Bolivian President Evo Morales has accused the United States of attempts to prevent him from seeking the fourth consecutive term in January under the pretext of democracy concerns.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th December, 2018) Bolivian President Evo Morales has accused the United States of attempts to prevent him from seeking the fourth consecutive term in January under the pretext of democracy concerns.

Earlier in December, Bolivia's Supreme Court ruled that Morales can run for his fourth consecutive term as the head of state in January 2019. The move faced strong criticism from opposition, which called on the government to respect the results of the 2016 referendum that rejected Morales' request to seek reelection. The court's ruling also prompted thousands of protesters to take to the streets.

"As it happened in 2002, US and its servile right-wing politicians try to thwart our candidacy with lies and discredit.

They'd call us 'Bin Laden' or 'Talibans' and warned of an aid cut. Now they say they're worried about democracy. Bolivia is sovereign and rejects any interference," Morales wrote on Twitter late on Monday.

In February 2016, Bolivia held a referendum on passing amendments to the country's constitution that would allow Morales to serve as president for four terms in a row. The idea was rejected by 51.3 percent of voters, while proponents of amendments gained 48.7 percent.

Morales initially said that he respected the people's will but then called the referendum a "victory of lies." In November 2017, the Bolivian constitutional court allowed the incumbent president to seek yet another reelection.