In Fidel's Cuba Evo Morales finds medical help

ANKARA

Bolivia's former leader Evo Morales said he is returning to Argentina from Cuba, where he received medical treatment.

"I want to tell you that I feel very well, I am still in Cuba, but today is my return trip to the Republic of Argentina," Morales on Sunday told Bolivia's Radio Kawaschun Coca, according to the Cuban daily Diario de Cuba.

Morales last Monday traveled to Cuba from Buenos Aires for a routine control.

Citing sources from his office, the report said Morales was surgically intervened in Cuba early 2017 due to a problem in the vocal cords. Since then, he has traveled every three months to the Caribbean nation to continue his medical treatment.

Morales also announced that "a planning meeting" will be held on Monday with leaders from his Movement for Socialism Party for May 3 elections.

"In three months they have destroyed everything we have built-in unity with the Bolivian people during our government. This situation hurts us a lot," he tweeted on Sunday, referring to the actions taken by Bolivian interim government under Jeanine Anez's rule.

"In education, there is not a single new item for the vegetative growth of management 2020. It is the policy of the right-wing to privatize it.

"In health, they expelled Cuban doctors and, now as a consequence, there are collapsed hospitals. [The southern Bolivian city of] Yacuiba and [northern city of] Riberalta [are] without intensive therapy; the Unified Health System [is] paralyzed. They want to end all our social programs and privatize them," Morales also said on Twitter.

"They have paralyzed large works which had budgeted financing such as: the Nuclear Research Center, whose investment was from the TGN [General Treasury of the Nation], so it did not require the approval of the ALP [Plurinational Legislative Assembly]; a line of the Metropolitan Train in Cochabamba; the Urea plant; and the construction of roads," he added.

Turmoil in Bolivia began when Morales won a fourth term in office in October and faced immediate resistance from opposition parties that challenged election results. Protesters took to the streets claiming the ballot was rigged.

After weeks of upheaval, Morales resigned under pressure from the military and moved to Mexico, where he was offered political asylum. He was then granted asylum in Argentina.

Meanwhile, conservative Senator Anez proclaimed herself interim president.

A new presidential election is set for May 3, but Morales will not be able to run as he has already hit the constitutional limit of two terms in office. His party will be represented by Luis Arce Catacora.