Bolivia's ex-President Evo Morales has claimed he was forced from office by a US-backed coup intended to gain access to the country’s lithium resources.
Morales returned on Monday (November 9) after a year in exile in Argentina. The remarks were made on Tuesday (November 10) on the second day of his return tour.
The former president also accused Elon Musk of financing his ousting.
SHOTLIST:
1. Various of Evo Morales starting his return to Bolivia
2. SOUNDBITE 1: EVO MORALES, former President of Bolivia
3. Various of Evo Morales' tour of Bolivia
4. Various of supporters of Evo Morales
5. Various of Evo Morales with his supporters
6. Various of act of Evo Morales in Oruro
7. SOUNDBITE 2: EVO MORALES, former President of Bolivia (Uyuni)
8. Various of Evo Morales in Orinoca, his hometown
STORYLINE:
Evo Morales continued his massive tour back to Bolivia on Tuesday until he reached Orinoca, his hometown, in the middle of the highlands where he was born 61 years ago, in an intense day of travel with many social events where he hinted that he will be a former president very active.
The former president of Bolivia assured this Tuesday, November 10, at a press conference that the large lithium deposits in his country were the reason for the "coup d'état" of which he maintains that he was a victim in the political crisis unleashed after the suspicions of fraud in the 2019 elections.
In this appearance, where he did not agree to speak about any other issue beyond lithium, the ex-president said that this project was paralyzed during the term of the Áñez Government, but assured that it will be resumed now that his former Minister of Economy Luis Arce is the new president for the next five years.
The call for journalists was made in one of the hotels located in front of the famous Uyuni salt flat, one of the best-known tourist attractions of Bolivia in the world, during the second of the three stages of his return tour, with which he is touring much of the Bolivian territory.
"The fight of humanity is always for control of natural resources. Whose natural resources are they? Of the peoples under the administration of the State or of the private ones under the looting of the transnationals," said Morales.
He then recalled the message posted on social networks by Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, referring to the world level in the manufacture of electric cars.
The billionaire businessman assured, in apparent irony, that they would hit whoever they wanted, in response to a user who reproached him for the fact that the United States had carried out a "coup" in Bolivia to keep its lithium.
"The owner of Tesla claims to have financed the coup, only for lithium. In the United States there is great concern about lithium, and this blow is to lithium. They do not want us to give the added value to lithium as a State, always they want our natural resources to be in the hands of transnationals", he said.
Morales said he was still convinced that "two or three countries will define the price of lithium for the world in the future," for which he encouraged the rest of Latin American countries to maintain their sovereignty over natural resources.
"All Latin Americans have to work there," said Morales, who believes that in this way the continent will be able to close the gap in science and technology.
Morales gave this conference on his second day of his return tour to Bolivia, a journey from south to center with different stops with social events and rallies in those regions of the country where he has the most support.
The caravan began on Monday 9-N after returning to Bolivia walking on foot along the border with Argentina, where it has been sheltered for the last 11 months, and from there it reached Uyuni.
On Tuesday he arrived in Oruro, with an emotional stop in Orinoca, the village that saw him born 61 years ago in the vicinity of Lake Poopó.
Wednesday 11 will be the last day of the route where he will directly reach Chimoré, the coca-growing enclave of the Tropic of Cochabamba from which he emerged as a union leader before being president and where he has announced that he will be established to return to those tasks.
It is no coincidence that he arrived in Chimoré on November 11, the same day and the same place where a year ago he almost secretly left the country on a Mexican Air Force plane after having resigned the day before, while suspicions of a electoral fraud in their favor and a climate of social instability.
SOUNDBITE 1: EVO MORALES, former President of Bolivia
"The right under the tutelage of the North American empire until 3 days ago tried that 'Lucho' (Arce) does not take office as President"
SOUNDBITE 2: EVO MORALES, former President of Bolivia
"Who owns the natural resources? Of the towns under the administration of the State or of the private ones under the looting of the transnationals, and the transnationals, as well as the owner of Tesla, of the United States, where the peoples are owners, there they prepare military bases, military interventions, or coups d'état".
