Eduardo Rodríguez becomes president of Bolivia
{{date|June 10, 2005}}

Some minutes before midnight local time on Thursday, [[w:Eduardo Rodriguez Veltzé|Eduardo Rodriguez Veltzé]], then President of the Supreme Court of Justice, took oath as the new president of Bolivia, a country that has found itself plunged in a serious crisis for several months.

Earlier on Thursday, the Legislature had suspended the session that had predicted, in the House of the Liberty of [[w:Sucre, Bolivia|Sucre]], to decide the name of the new president of the Bolivians, due to the intensified protests after it become known that a minor was killed by the Army.  The demonstrations also brought along a strong resistance of various social sectors to possible appointment of Hormando Vaca Diez, president of the Senate, or Mario Cossío, president of the House of Representatives, who constitutionally would have to succeed departing president Carlos Mesa, who resigned on Monday night.

Nevertheless, at 22:45 local time (02:45 UTC on Friday), Congress resumed the session, accepted unanimously the renunciation of Mesa, and named Rodriguez Veltzé, a 49-year-old lawyer from [[w:Cochabamba, Bolivia|Cochabamba]], as the new temporary president of the country, after Vaca Diez and Cossio declined their rights of succession.  In his acceptance speech, Rodriguez Veltzé said he's convinced that his mandate "has to do with a renewal of the system" and promised to call the anticipated elections in a maximum of 150 days, just as the Bolivian Constitution says.  Besides, he asked his countrymen to "give him a necessary and prudent time to elect a new constitutional president" and to "stop all the pressures and all the mobilizations".

The coca leader Evo Morales, main opponent of Mesa and Vaca Diez, has previously endorsed the appointment of Rodriguez Veltzé and, although he wants a constitutional assembly, probably desists as the temporary president fulfills his promise to call anticipated polls, possibly next December.  By aside, the Congress would have that to call to parliamentary elections, since the Constitution only obliges the temporary president to call assemblies for president and vice president.  

==Sources==
* {{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_4079000/4079344.stm
|title=  Bolivia tiene un nuevo presidente
|pub=BBC
|author=Luis Crespo
|date=June 10, 2005}}
* {{source|url=http://caracolnoticias.com/internacional/noti_internacional.asp?id_sw=61000
|title=Congreso boliviano designó nuevo presidente de la República
|pub=Caracol TV
|author=
|date=June 10, 2005}}

{{publish}}
{{archived}}

[[Category:Bolivia]]
[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Evo Morales]]
[[Category:Constitutions (unsorted)]]
<!--SPANISH
Unos minutos antes de la medianoche -hora local- del jueves, Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé, hasta entonces presidente de la Corte Suprema de Justicia, tomó juramento como nuevo presidente de Bolivia, país que se encuentra sumido en una grave crisis desde hace ya varios meses.

Más temprano el jueves, el Legislativo había suspendido la sesión que tenía prevista, en la Casa de la Libertad de Sucre, para decidir el nombre del nuevo mandatario de los bolivianos, debido a las intensas protestas que se agudizaron luego de conocerse la muerte de un minero por parte del Ejército. Las manifestaciones también tenían que ver con la fuerte resistencia de varios sectores sociales al posible nombramiento de Hormando Vaca Diez, presidente del Senado, o de Mario Cossío, presidente de la Cámara de Diputados, quienes constitucionalmente tendrían que haber sucedido al saliente presidente Carlos Mesa, que dimitió la noche del lunes.

No obstante, a las 22:45 hora local (02:45 UTC del viernes), el Congreso reanudó la sesión, aceptó por unanimidad la renuncia de Mesa y nombró a Rodríguez Veltzé, abogado de 49 años nacido en Cochabamba, como nuevo presidente interino del país, después de que Vaca Diez y Cossio renunciaran a su derecho de sucesión. En su discurso de posesión, Rodríguez Veltzé afirmó estar convencido de que su mandato "tiene que ver con una renovación del sistema" y prometió convocar a elecciones anticipadas en un plazo máximo de 150 días, tal como reza la Constitución Boliviana. Además, pidió a sus compatriotas "que le den un tiempo prudente y necesario al nuevo presidente constitucional" y "que se paren todas las presiones y todas las movilizaciones".

El líder cocalero Evo Morales, principal opositor de Mesa y de Vaca Diez, había anunciado estar de acuerdo con el nombramiento de Rodríguez Veltzé y, aunque desea la convocatoria de una asamblea constituyente, posiblemente desista de ella si el presidente interino cumple su promesa de convocar a elecciones anticipadas, probablemente para el próximo mes de diciembre. Por aparte, el Congreso tendría que convocar a elecciones parlamentarias, ya que la Constitución obliga al presidente interino sólo a convocar comicios para presidente y vicepresidente.-->

[[es:Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé es el nuevo presidente de Bolivia]]
[[it:Nuovo presidente della Bolivia promette nuove elezioni presidenziali]]
[[pt:Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé é o novo Presidente da Bolívia]]
Some minutes before midnight local time on Thursday, Eduardo Rodriguez Veltzé, then President of the Supreme Court of Justice, took oath as the new president of Bolivia, a country that has found itself plunged in a serious crisis for several months.

Earlier on Thursday, the Legislature had suspended the session that had predicted, in the House of the Liberty of Sucre, to decide the name of the new president of the Bolivians, due to the intensified protests after it become known that a minor was killed by the Army.  The demonstrations also brought along a strong resistance of various social sectors to possible appointment of Hormando Vaca Diez, president of the Senate, or Mario Cossío, president of the House of Representatives, who constitutionally would have to succeed departing president Carlos Mesa, who resigned on Monday night.

Nevertheless, at 22:45 local time (02:45 UTC on Friday), Congress resumed the session, accepted unanimously the renunciation of Mesa, and named Rodriguez Veltzé, a 49-year-old lawyer from Cochabamba, as the new temporary president of the country, after Vaca Diez and Cossio declined their rights of succession.  In his acceptance speech, Rodriguez Veltzé said he's convinced that his mandate "has to do with a renewal of the system" and promised to call the anticipated elections in a maximum of 150 days, just as the Bolivian Constitution says.  Besides, he asked his countrymen to "give him a necessary and prudent time to elect a new constitutional president" and to "stop all the pressures and all the mobilizations".

The coca leader Evo Morales, main opponent of Mesa and Vaca Diez, has previously endorsed the appointment of Rodriguez Veltzé and, although he wants a constitutional assembly, probably desists as the temporary president fulfills his promise to call anticipated polls, possibly next December.  By aside, the Congress would have that to call to parliamentary elections, since the Constitution only obliges the temporary president to call assemblies for president and vice president.  

es:Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé es el nuevo presidente de Bolivia
it:Nuovo presidente della Bolivia promette nuove elezioni presidenziali
Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé é o novo Presidente da Bolívia
Bolivia South America Politics and conflicts Evo Morales Constitutions (unsorted)