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Death toll in Bolivian political clashes climbs higher

Four more people were killed in Bolivia amid ongoing clashes between police and supporters of ousted President Evo Morales, bringing the death toll over the past week to 23, officials said Sunday.

The government of Interim President Jeanine Anez scrambled to stave off international criticism for what the United Nations called the “disproportionate” use of force in response to the demonstrations.

United Nations officials said they hoped to “accelerate the pacification process” — even as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights chided the Anez government for allegedly looking the other way while police use force on demonstrators.

Morales, the first indigenous president in Bolivia’s history, held the office for 14 years until he resigned Nov. 10 following weeks of protests over his questionable Oct. 20 reelection and mounting pressure by the military.





Morales, a socialist, claimed victory over Carlos Mesa, but the election came into question when the Organization of American States reported widespread irregularities.

Anez, a mid-level legislator, declared herself president days later.

Morales, 60, was given political asylum in Mexico — where he has since tweeted that the killing of demonstrators amounted to “crimes against humanity.”

He says the death toll among his supporters in Bolivia is 24, and maintains his ouster was a coup orchestrated by Anez, Mesa and Luis Fernando Camacho, a lawyer, and right-wing activist.

“We demand that the de facto government of Anez, Mesa and Camacho identify those responsible for the 24 deaths in 5 days due to police and military repression,” he said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the political in-fighting has begun to hit home in La Paz, where residents Sunday were forced to endure lengthy lines at food markets as blockades of major roads by pro-Morales supporters have caused food shortages in the capital city.





“I hope things calm down,” construction worker Josue Pillco told Reuters. “We’re not getting good or gasoline.”

With Post wires





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