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Plane Carrying Morales Lands in Paraguay After Getting Refusal From Peru - Reports

© AP Photo / Juan KaritaBolivia's President Evo Morales
Bolivia's President Evo Morales - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW/MEXICO CITY, November 12 (Sputnik) - An aircraft of the Mexican Air Force carrying resigned Bolivian President Evo Morales has landed in Paraguay after a request for landing in Peru has been rejected, Paraguayan media reported on Tuesday.

The plane was supposed to refuel in Peru before heading to Mexico, where Morales has been granted political asylum, with the local authorities having already granted agreement to it. However, the departure held off due to the need to coordinate the route again, according to Bolivian media.

The aircraft landed at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport near the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion at 1.35 a.m. local time (04:35 GMT), the ABC Color newspaper reported. According to the newspaper, the decision to land in Paraguay was made after traffic controllers in Peru, Chile and Brazil banned the aircraft from passing over their airspace.

An ABC Color correspondent said, citing the Paraguayan military, that the aircraft would refuel and then continue its flight to Mexico. It may leave Paraguay later on Tuesday.

Bolivia's resigned top officials may be traveling with Morales to Mexico on the same plane, since Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister Maximiliano Zuniga has posted on Twitter a photo featuring Morales accompanied by several people, including former Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera and Senate President Adriana Salvatierra. A group comprising at least six people is captured on the photo, taken at Bolivia's Chimore International Airport.

Meanwhile, Mexican officials have never mentioned any other officials, commenting on granting asylum to Morales. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard refused on Monday to reveal the names of any Bolivian officials and lawmakers requesting asylum, referring to the threat they could face.

Morales, who had been the president of Bolivia since 2006, stepped down on Sunday, as well as other top officials, amid massive protests against his victory in the October presidential election, contested by the opposition.

Several countries, including Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, and Mexico described the events in Bolivia as a coup.

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