- Title: Mexican ambassador to Bolivia returns home after diplomatic row
- Date: 1st January 2020
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (DECEMBER 31, 2019) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING INSIDE TERMINAL IN MEXICO CITY'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SCREEN WITH FLIGHT ARRIVALS PEOPLE LOOKING AT SCREEN SIGN READING (Spanish) "INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS" VARIOUS, PEOPLE OUTSIDE INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS DOOR
- Embargoed: 15th January 2020 00:39
- Keywords: Bolivia Maria Teresa Mercado Mexico ambassador diplomat dispute expelled foreign affairs row
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002BUCC47B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: CONTAINS STILL PHOTOGRAPH SHOT IN PORTRAIT
Mexico's ambassador to Bolivia returned home on Tuesday (December 31) after a row between Mexico and Bolivia has created a New Year's headache for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Bolivia on Monday (December 30) gave Mexican ambassador Maria Teresa Mercado 72 hours to leave the country as tensions escalated over Mexico's decision to grant asylum to several people described as criminals by the new interim Bolivian administration.
Relations have been rocky between the leftist Lopez Obrador and the conservative government in La Paz headed by caretaker president Jeanine Anez since Mexico gave asylum to Bolivia's former socialist leader Evo Morales last month.
Mexico cast that decision as a principled gesture on behalf of people at risk of political persecution, and has accused the Bolivian government of harassing and intimidating its diplomatic staff in La Paz.
The Anez administration, which is gearing up for presidential elections, has likened Mexico's attitude to that of colonial overlord meddling in Bolivia's domestic politics.
Mexico sought to contain tensions on Monday, saying it currently had no intention of breaking ties with Bolivia even as Spain, which has been drawn into the spat, expelled three Bolivian diplomats in a tit-for-tat move.
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