Bolivia’s President Evo Morales leaves a news conference at the presidential palace La Casa Grande del Pueblo in La Paz, Bolivia, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Claure
LA PAZ (Reuters) – Bolivian President Evo Morales sought to shore up support with the country’s military on Wednesday as he faces allegations by the opposition of vote-rigging, calling on them to unite in the face of groups of people whom he said were fomenting hatred.
“The Armed Forces unite all Bolivians. The Armed Forces have the obligation to guarantee the national territory,” Morales said at a military event in the region of Cochabamba, a key source of political support.
“I lament that in recent days once more there are groups that instigate hatred. There are groups that appear to discriminate against the most humble families in our national territory,” Morales said, praising the military for maintaining its “social consciousness.”
Reporting By Daniel Ramos, Writing By Mitra Taj, Editing by Chris Reese