translated from Spanish: The OAS ruled “DD violations. (HH.” in Bolivia during post-election protests

The Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday condemned “human rights violations” committed in Bolivia in the context of post-election protests, drawing particular attention to “racial violence”, so which has called for “full respect for the rights of indigenous peoples” of the country. The Permanent Council of the OAS approved by 18 votes in favour, four against and eleven abstentions a resolution “Rejection of racial violence and appeal to the full office on the rights of indigenous peoples in the Plurinational State of Bolivia”, on a proposal Nicaragua, Argentina, Panama, Mexico and the Caribbean states. The executive body has thus decided to “condemn violations of human rights and the use of violence against any citizen of Bolivia, especially any form of violence and intimidation against Bolivians of indigenous origin,” according to the newspaper Bolivian ‘La Razón’. In particular, he expresses his condemnation of the burning of the whiphala – indigenous flag -, as a sign of “intolerance towards symbols, traditional vestiges and religious practices, as well as any aspect of indigenous civilization”. In addition, it urged the Bolivian authorities “to fully and unrestrictedly ensure the observance and protection of human rights and to ensure responsibility for any violation thereof, in accordance with international law”. The crisis in Bolivia erupted after the presidential elections on 20 October, in which the OAS detected “irregularities”, leading to the resignation of Evo Morales on 10 November. The indigenous leader initially settled in Mexico as a political asylado and weeks later traveled to Cuba for medical reasons, although last week he arrived in Argentina as a refugee. Morales’ party, the MAS, and its opponents have reached an agreement in Congress to hold new elections next year, but neither the former president nor his former vice president, Alvaro García Linera, will be able to run as candidates.

Original source in Spanish