Opposition lawmaker claims presidency in crisis-torn Bolivia

13 November 2019, 4:35 am

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A women’s rights activist and former television presenter who became an opposition leader in the Senate declares herself Bolivia’s interim president late Tuesday, promising to guide the country out of a deep crisis.

Jeanine Añez, 52, was a second-tier opposition figure until the resignation Sunday of President Evo Morales after nearly 14 years in power.

But as the Senate’s second vice president, she moved Tuesday to take temporary control of the body even though she lacked a quorum to appoint her. The Senate leader is next in line to the presidency, and she then proclaimed herself interim president to guide the Andean nation before new elections.