Taif emerges as a sanctuary for Arabian horse heritage    International Year of Camelids 2024 under Saudi Presidency concludes    Elm, One sign MoU to enhance strategic partnership and support local content in communications and marketing sector    Commerce Ministry recalls over 88,000 Anker portable chargers over fire risk    Trump says Israel has agreed on terms for 60-day ceasefire in Gaza    New evidence suggests Russian forces shot down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243    Iran's president halts cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog, reports say    Inquiry finds British committed genocide on Indigenous Australians    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Saudi FM receives message from Iranian counterpart    Cabinet reaffirms Saudi position of resolving conflicts through diplomatic means    Foreign Trade Authority leads Saudi negotiating team in second round of GCC-Japan FTA Talks    Inzaghi hails 'historic' Al Hilal win over Man City: We climbed a mountain with no oxygen    Milinković-Savić says Al Hilal proved critics wrong after historic win over Man City    Al Hilal stuns Man City and stirs the world: 'One of the greatest nights in Saudi club football'    AlUla becomes favorite global summer destination for photography enthusiasts    Michelin Guide launches in Saudi Arabia with phased rollout in 2025    Al Hilal stun Manchester City in seven-goal thriller to reach Club World Cup quarterfinals    'How fragile we are': Roskilde Festival tragedy remembered 25 years on    Historic Jeddah's visual identity re-imagined through global art installations at Al-Arbaeen Lagoon    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Regional Leaders Meet to Discuss Bolivia Crisis
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 15 - 09 - 2008

South America's presidents are meeting in Chile on Monday for an emergency summit aimed at preventing the collapse of Bolivia, whose leftist President Evo Morales has lost control of about half the impoverished country and said violent unrest there was an attempted coup.
Most presidents from South America's 12-country Unasur (One South) group were scheduled to attend the meeting, including Morales ally Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a moderate leftist who leads the continent's biggest economy. Brazil also is Bolivia's top foreign energy investor and is highly dependent on its natural-gas exports.
An unstable country, Bolivia has significant natural-gas reserves that are crucial to development in South America, and neighbors are keen to preserve the Morales presidency and the rule of law.
Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley said he expected the South American leaders to send a message of support to Morales and to affirm Bolivia's “territorial integrity.”
Arriving in Santiago, Morales accused four opposition governors of seeking to oust his government. “We've seen looting, the ransacking of institutions, attempts to assault the police and the armed forces,” he said.
Morales said he would explain to his fellow presidents how his political opponents in Bolivia's richer eastern lowlands have mounted a “civic coup,” inciting “crimes against humanity by groups massacring the poorest of my country.”
At least 30 people have been killed in Bolivia in the past week as supporters of Morales fought with rightist opponents angered by his attempts to give poorer Bolivians from the western highlands more political power and redistribute land to the poor.
Morales has lost control over most of eastern Bolivia, where demonstrations have blocked highways and closed border crossings and pipeline sabotage has reduced natural-gas exports to Brazil.
Morales declared martial law in the rebellious province of Pando and sought the arrest of its governor. Governor Leopoldo Fernandez denied any responsibility for the deaths, calling the situation an armed clash between rival groups and accusing Morales of “mounting a farce.”


Clic here to read the story from its source.