Morales hails UN for sending special envoy to Bolivia

ANKARA

Bolivia's former President Evo Morales thanked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday for appointing a special envoy in a bid to resolve the political impasse in the Latin American nation.

"I greet and thank brother Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the UN, for naming diplomat Jean Arnault as his special envoy to [engage in] dialogue with all parties and find solutions to the conflicts caused by the breakdown of constitutional order in Bolivia," Morales said on Twitter.

Guterres hours earlier in a tweet voiced concern over developments in Bolivia.

"I’m very concerned about developments in Bolivia. I’ve asked Jean Arnault to travel there as my personal envoy to engage with all actors and offer UN support to efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis," the UN chief said.

Bolivia underwent weeks of upheaval after Morales was poised to start his fourth term as president. He stepped down Sunday amid protests over the results of his reelection in October, with some Bolivians believing they were rigged.

After he resigned, Morales requested political asylum from Mexico. Before leaving, he tweeted that he would eventually return to Bolivia with more “strength and energy.”

He arrived in Mexico on Tuesday afternoon.

“If my people ask, we’re ready to go back. We’ll return sooner or later…to pacify Bolivia,” Morales said in Mexico on Wednesday.