La Paz, Bolivia (CNN) Bolivian Sen. Jeanine Anez declared herself the country's acting leader Tuesday, despite a boycott by former President Evo Morales' allies that left the legislative chamber short of the legal minimum number of lawmakers required to appoint her.

Anez said she would become interim president after the three people ahead of her in the line of succession quit in the wake of massive protests following Morales' resignation.

Morales, who has fled to Mexico , says he was forced to resign by the military and claims he is the victim of a coup. He has vowed to continue fighting from abroad.

In Morales' absence, members of his leftist political party were a no-show at the legislative session to appoint Anez, the second vice president of the Senate, leaving the chamber without a quorum to do business.

Jeanine Anez, center, declares herself Bolivia's interim president during a Congress session.

In a tweet, Morales called Anez's assumption of the presidency "the most crafty and disastrous coup in history."

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