By Daniel Ramos
LA PAZ, May 20 (Reuters) - Bolivia's government asked Colombia's ambassador to leave the country, citing sovereignty concerns and interference in internal affairs, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, as diplomatic tensions escalate over ongoing anti-government protests.
The move follows comments by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on May 17 describing the latest unrest as a “popular insurrection,” in remarks on X.
"If they expel the ambassador simply for proposing
dialogue and mediation, it means we're sliding toward extremism that could lead to a very difficult situation for the Bolivian people," Petro told local radio Caracol about Bolivia's diplomatic measure.
International concern has been mounting over widening unrest in Bolivia, with banks closing branches in La Paz and roadblocks disrupting supplies, as unions, miners and rural groups demand economic relief and some call for President Rodrigo Paz’s resignation.
Petro also reiterated that Colombia is willing to serve as a mediator to facilitate an internal dialogue among the conflicting factions in Bolivia.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Tuesday said he spoke with President Paz and warned that those defeated in last year’s election were trying to remove him from power. The European Union and several European embassies, meanwhile, have called for dialogue and peaceful demonstrations.
Bolivia's foreign ministry said the decision was in line with international law and does not represent a break in diplomatic ties with Colombia.
(Reporting by Daniel Ramos and Lucinda Elliott; Additional reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota; Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez;)
