The government of Bolivian President Evo Morales denounced what it called a coup by violent groups on Saturday, as some police forces carried out acts of "mutiny" in support of opposition protests amid a weeks-long standoff over a disputed election.
Morales, Latin America'slongest-standing leader, won the election on Oct. 20 but the vote count hadbeen inexplicably halted for nearly a day, sparking allegations of fraud andleading to protests, strikes and road blocks.
"Sisters and brothers, ourdemocracy is at risk due to the coup d'etat that violent groups have launchedthat undermine the constitutional order," Morales tweeted in the earlyhours of Saturday. "We denounce this attempt against the rule of lawbefore the international community."
The foreign ministry also said ina statement on Saturday that a coup was "in process" by radical civicgroups, adding some police officers had "abandoned their constitutionalrole of ensuring the security of society and state institutions".
Luis Fernando Camacho, a civicleader from the eastern city of Santa Cruz who has become a symbol of theopposition, replied to Morales' tweet, saying "We have not come tooverthrow a president, we have come to free Bolivia from itsdictatorship".
Camacho plans to lead a march tothe government palace on Monday with a symbolic pre-written resignation letterfor Morales to sign.
Bolivians marched again inseveral cities on Friday night and there were scattered cases of police joiningthe protests, adding to the pressure on Morales.
