By DPA,
Santiago : At an emergency summit, South American leaders have provided surprisingly strong backing for embattled Bolivian President Evo Morales.
The nine presidents participating in a meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in the Chilean capital Santiago, warned Bolivia’s opposition to refrain from staging a coup and splitting the country.
The 12-nation bloc also agreed to support the developing dialogue between the leftist president and the conservative opposition, both logistically as well as by active mediation.
The unified show of support for Morales was also seen as a rejection of US criticism against the Bolivian leader. Morales said he was “surprised” by the far-reaching backing.
Contrary to earlier reports, the Organization of American States (OAS), where the United States is a member, will not play a prominent role in solving the crisis.
However, Brazil, a major regional power which is dependent on Bolivia’s supply of natural gas, seemed to have pushed through all of its demands.
The summit was called by Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet, who currently holds the UNASUR presidency.
In a final statement, the summit participants declared their full support for Morales’ government.
“We condemn and reject any attempt at a civilian coup or rupture of institutional order,” Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said.
UNASUR would not recognize any situation arising out of that sort of action, she added.
The organization demanded an immediate halt to attacks against the central authorities in the five opposition-controlled provinces by groups accused of “destabilizing democracy.”
The members agreed to set up a commission to investigate the violent clashes in the Pando region, which left at least 25 people dead.
Morales alleged Monday that governors of the restive region were attempting to topple his government.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez likened to unrest to the 1973 CIA-backed coup in Chile which ousted president Salvador Allende, saying the US was involved in an “international conspiracy” against Morales.
Hopes are increasing that after Morales’ return to La Paz an almost finalized agreement on topics to restart dialogue with the opposition can be signed.
The Bolivian opposition has regrouped around autonomy movements in five of the country’s nine provinces.
The crisis centres on Morales’ plans to hold a referendum in December on a new constitution, which is the centrepiece of his programme to distribute more of Bolivia’s wealth to the impoverished, indigenous majority.
The opposition, concentrated in resource-rich southern and eastern Bolivia, is demanding the return of taxes levied on oil and natural gas revenues, which are currently used to provide pensions for all Bolivians over age 60.
The government’s opponents accused Morales, who was elected in 2005 as the country’s first indigenous president, of carrying out discrimination in favour of indigenous people.
In August, Morales won two-thirds of the vote to survive a recall referendum.
Bolivia’s population of 10 million has a 60-per-cent poverty rate, affecting mostly indigenous people.