Mexico was 1st to grant asylum to Morales after ‘coup’ and now it’s ‘deeply concerned’ about Bolivia monitoring its embassy

Mexico's government has expressed "deep concern" about the monitoring of its La Paz embassy by Bolivian intelligence and security services. Last month, Mexico offered deposed Bolivian leader Evo Morales asylum following a "coup."

Mexico's Foreign Ministry sounded the alarm on Monday, claiming that Bolivia's security and intelligence apparatus has been monitoring the diplomatic mission since the country granted political asylum to Morales last month. The deposed leader lost the support of his police and military in early November, after the opposition declared his re-election in October fraudulent. Morales was ousted despite announcing a fresh general election.

The ministry alleges that around 150 Bolivian police and intelligence agents have “surrounded” the Mexican ambassador’s residence since Friday, and that these police and agents have intimidated and spied on Mexican diplomatic personnel. 

Bolivia’s security apparatus is now in the hands of an interim government, headed by right-wing Senator Jeanine Anez. The Anez government has issued an arrest warrant for Morales, claiming that his calls for protest amounted to "sedition and terrorism," and promising to jail the exiled socialist "for the rest of his life."

Speaking to RT while in Mexico, Morales described the tactics of the Bolivian opposition as "fascist," and accused them of intimidating his allies into submission. He claimed that the coup against him was masterminded by politicians wishing to sell off the country's vast lithium reserves to multinational corporations - instead of nationalizing it, as he'd planned.

Morales has since left Mexico for Argentina, where recently elected President Alberto Fernández has granted him political asylum. Morales has vowed to "continue fighting for the poor" and has been chosen by his party to mastermind its upcoming election campaign from abroad.

Mexico, meanwhile, has asked the interim government in Bolivia to "guarantee the security and protection" of its diplomatic mission in La Paz.

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