The Government of Bolivia declared the Colombian ambassador, Elizabeth García, persona non grata and ordered her expulsion from the country, considering that Colombian President Gustavo Petro engaged in a “constant interference” in Bolivian internal affairs related to the political and judicial situation of Evo Morales.
The decision was formalized on May 20 through a statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry, which accused the Colombian leader of supporting a “destabilizing movement” against the administration of Rodrigo Paz Pereira.
Bolivia accused Petro of intervening in the internal crisis
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia stated that Gustavo Petro's recent statements violated the principles of respect for sovereignty and non-intervention established by international law.
“The Plurinational State of Bolivia considers it essential that any external assessment or statement regarding the internal situation of the country be conducted with responsibility, diplomatic prudence, and full respect for the current democratic and constitutional institutional framework”, the official statement noted.
The Foreign Ministry also informed that Elizabeth García was given the appropriate time to leave Bolivian territory in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The statements by Petro that triggered the crisis
The diplomatic tension escalated after several messages published by Gustavo Petro on the social network X, where he described the protests in Bolivia as a “popular insurrection” and attributed the crisis to “geopolitical arrogance”.
Furthermore, the Colombian leader defended the need to guarantee political rights in Latin America and stated that:
“There should be no political prisoners anywhere in the Americas”.
In Bolivia, various sectors interpreted those statements as an indirect endorsement of Evo Morales, currently a fugitive after being declared in rebellion by the Bolivian Justice in a case involving alleged crimes of human trafficking.
Evo Morales publicly supported Petro
Following the messages from the Colombian president, Evo Morales publicly thanked for the support received and praised Petro for “defending the sovereignty of Latin America against the arrogance of imperialism”.
The reaction from the Bolivian government was immediate. From La Paz, they asserted that Petro's statements:
deepen political polarization
interfere in internal affairs
