Luís Arce told the newspaper “O Globo” that Latin countries want “to be treated as equals”
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce (Movement to Socialism, left), said in an interview published by the newspaper this Sunday (24.nov.2024) that Bolivia and Latin America “they will no longer be America’s backyard”, in a message to the president-elect of the USA, Donald Trump (Republican).
“Times have changed. I believe that Trump has the possibility of reflecting on Latin America in particular […] We want to be partners and for our sovereignty to be respected. We want to be treated as equals, because we are sovereign states and deserve respect, like any other country. In these terms, I believe we can get closer”said Alberto Arce in a speech to the newspaper during the G20 Summit in Rio.
In the Bolivian president’s assessment, the strengthening of political blocs changes the US position in relation to Latin America. “Things have changed. Brazil, in this context, is a very relevant actor, which is why we ask President Lula to always pay close attention to the region.”
Luis Arce said that the multipolar actions of the Brics would, in his view, mean that the USA would not be the only country with global hegemony.
Arce was also asked about the elections in Venezuela. Several countries contested the result that gave victory to Nicolás Maduro, while Bolivia recognized the election.
“We, in Bolivia, suffered something similar to what happened in Venezuela. When the right doesn’t win elections, they talk about fraud. This happened in our country in 2019, and it almost happened in 2020, when the Supreme Electoral Court was in the hands of the right.”declared Arce.
The Bolivian president spoke about his difference with Lula in relation to Venezuela, given that Brazil did not recognize the result of the election. “We never talked about the topic. We talked about our bilateral relationship. In this case, Venezuela, I think everyone has their own criteria. And we respect each other’s criteria”he stated.
