The relations of Mexico and Bolivia continue to fall apart

Since the arrival of the new government in Bolivia, relations that were once close between the two countries have been complicated by the support that the Mexican government has given Evo Morales since he left office in the presidency.

In a final event in the face of the complicated relationship, the presidency of Bolivia requested the ambassador of Mexico in Bolivia, María Teresa Mercado, the business manager of the Spanish embassy, Cristina Borreguero and the consul of Spain, Álvaro Fernández, who leave the country within a maximum period of 72 hours.

"The constitutional government that I preside over has decided to declare people 'not pleasant'" to the three senior diplomats, said Jeanine Áñez. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) of Mexico announced that the ambassador is already authorized to return to Mexico to avoid jeopardizing her safety and well-being.

However, the SRE also said in a statement that the official had been complying with all the parameters of the countries' bilateral relationship. "The Government of Mexico confirms that the actions of our ambassador (…) have always complied with the foreign policy principles enshrined in the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and in International Law, and therefore considers that this decision is political character", said the statement. With this response, the political tension that both governments face and that could harm diplomatic relations in the long term has become evident.

The beginning of the break

Tensions began since AMLO, president of Mexico, received Evo Morales as a political asylum when he left the presidency in what he called a coup d'etat. The reception of Morales on Mexican soil was considered by the new government of Bolivia as a threat to relations, since Morales's departure came after the right qualified as fraudulent elections that positioned him again as president.

After that time, relations began to fall and repeatedly the Bolivian government criticized the actions of the Mexican when it came to receiving Morales. On one occasion he even said that the Bolivian ex-president had had an "open microphone" to do politics from Mexico.

Evo Morales was not the only one in his government who came to Mexico at the time of resignation, as some other cabinet members did too. For their part, some of these officials subsequently received arrest warrants from the General Prosecutor's Office of Bolivia, which is why the Bolivian Foreign Ministry has considered that the actions of Mexico hindered judicial proceedings.

Also read: What is happening in Bolivia?

For its part, the Mexican government had also previously criticized the actions of the new government of Jeanine Áñez. Just days before this last decision, on December 23, the Mexican Foreign Ministry had published concerns about the "excessive presence" of Bolivian agents at the country's embassy in La Paz, Bolivia. The Mexican government would be affirming that since November 11, the day that Mexico received Evo Morales, intelligence agents were monitoring diplomatic headquarters, which would be a threat to relations.

The Bolivian Foreign Ministry, at the head of Karen Longaric, responded by denying any type of accusation and affirmed that Bolivia complies with and respects diplomatic immunities.

Despite the denial by the government of Bolivia, the president of Mexico filed a complaint about the event before the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. According to the BBC, “in the letter sent to the OAS, the Mexican mission specifies that the presence of Bolivian agents has increased since December 21 with an average of“ 150 ”officials, some of whom tried to check the car of the ambassador ”, María Teresa Mercado, whom she has now declared unpleasant person.