Morales vows justice for Bolivian protest victims

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Bolivia's former leader Evo Morales promised Thursday the families of 10 victims of a military-police operation near the Bolivian capital he would not rest until justice is secured.

Morales said on Twitter that the families met him in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he was granted asylum, and asked for justice for the dead and injured.

"I promised that I will not rest until the de facto government is tried for these crimes and compensated victims," Morales vowed and called what happened a massacre.

Police and military forces crackdown Nov. 19 on protesters supporting Morales in the Senkata neighborhood of El Alto left 10 civilians dead and more than 60 protesters injured.

Turmoil in Bolivia began in October, when Morales won a fourth term in office and faced immediate resistance from opposition parties that challenged election results. Protesters took to the streets claiming the ballot was rigged.

After weeks of upheaval, Morales resigned under pressure from the military and moved to Mexico, where he was offered political asylum. He was then granted asylum on Argentina.

Conservative Senator Jeanine Anez then proclaimed herself interim president.

But public demonstrations have yet to subside, with mostly rural and indigenous pro-Morales supporters taking to the streets, including La Paz, as well as Sacaba and Cochabamba, since he left the country saying his ouster was a coup.

Anez has called for an election rerun in 2020 in which Morales will not be allowed to stand, as he has already hit the constitutional limit of two terms of office.