Marking 12 years in office, Bolivia's Morales touts advancements

Record ID: 980276

  • Title: Marking 12 years in office, Bolivia's Morales touts advancements
  • Date: 22nd January 2018
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF INDIGENOUS DEMONSTRATORS DANCING AND SINGING AT PLAZA MURILLO EXTERIOR OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, BURNED PALACE
  • Embargoed: 5th February 2018 19:44
  • Keywords: Bolivia Evo Morales demonstrations protests penal code
  • Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
  • City: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0037Z72KOZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Marking 12 years in office, Bolivian President Evo Morales on Monday (January 22) touted gains under his leftist government, but did not mention recent unrest in the country over controversial changes to the country's penal code.
    Morales addressed Bolivia's Legislative Assembly saying the country was getting closer to gaining access to the Pacific Ocean and that his government has never gone "against the people" as it enters its 13th year in power. He took office back in January of 2006.
    Demonstrators marched just blocks from Murillo Plaza where both Bolivia's presidential palace and legislative assembly are located to continue to press the government to rescind the recent changes to the penal code that sparked two months of protests in the landlocked country.
    On Sunday (January 21), Morales said he would seek a repeal of the measure which includes stricter penalties against criminal truck drivers and harsher medical malpractice liabilities which sparked an outcry that resulted in violent protests and a health crisis related to striking medical workers.
    Under Morales, Bolivia has brought a case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague which seeks to force its neighbour to enter negotiations to grant it a corridor to the Pacific Ocean.
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