Argentina’s Ex-President Dismisses Bolivia’s Claims That He Helped With Removal of Morales

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Former Argentine President Mauricio Macri has dismissed Bolivia’s claims that Argentina’s government supplied ammunition to Bolivia during the 2019 unrest.

"I want to flatly deny the veracity of these accusations," the former president said in a public letter on Saturday.

Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora said on Twitter earlier this week that Macri’s government sent ammunition and tear gas to Bolivia during the coup d'etat in 2019 in violation of international norms.

Macri said that these are "false facts" and that Argentina actually provided humanitarian aid to Bolivia after the resignation of Evo Morales. The former president emphasized in his letter that Morales’ officials and their families were provided asylum at the Argentine embassy.

Bolivia's accusations came after the current president of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, apologized for the fact that Buenos Aires had supported rebel forces in Bolivia.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is currently investigating the events of 2019 through an interdisciplinary group of independent experts.

In November 2019, Evo Morales resigned as president and left Bolivia under pressure from the military, after the Bolivian opposition, led by Carlos Mesa, claimed that there were mass violations during the October 2019 vote. Most of Bolivia’s senior officials resigned in his wake.

Power in the country was assumed by then opposition vice-speaker of the senate, Jeanine Anez. Morales called the events a coup. Anez arranged for a new presidential vote, which took place on 18 October 2020. The election was won by Luis Arce from Morales’ Movement for Socialism party (MAS).