Iran ready to boost cooperation with Bolivia under new gov’t: Rouhani

“In the new era of returning power to the people's representatives, I voice support for your elected government and express the readiness of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to revive mutual relations and expand cooperation with the friendly country of Bolivia in all fields,” Rouhani said in a message to Arce on Saturday, according to ROKNA.

He added that the recent election, which led to the decisive victory of Arce and David Choquehuanca as vice president-elect, not only strengthened democracy in the Latin American country but was a “glorious” manifestation of the implementation of justice by the Bolivian nation.

Rouhani wished success for the Bolivian president-elect and prosperity for the Latin American nation.

The Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday declared Bolivia’s presidential election transparent and Luis Arce’s incoming government legitimate.

Arce, who hails from the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party, bagged more than 50% of the votes, an unofficial count indicated on Monday.

The big win for Arce negated earlier opinion polls that had predicted the election would go to a runoff.

Arce was running against former centrist president Carlos Mesa, who gained second place with some 31.5% of the votes.

Arce is considered the heir to former leader Evo Morales.

Last year, Morales was ousted from power amid protests against his fourth-term presidential victory. He was forced to resign in November 2019 under pressure from the military and following the opposition’s challenging of the victory that he had secured in the presidential election.

The election victory now by Morales’ largely indigenous MAS party has focused attention on the former president’s return to Bolivia from exile.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday praised the Bolivian people’s victory against America’s “destabilizing plots” following the recent presidential election, which put an end to months of political chaos in the Latin American state.

 “I offer my sincere congratulations to the heroic people of Bolivia over their decisive victory against the destabilizing plots of the Yankee Empire,” Zarif said in a Spanish-language tweet, referring to the US, which supported a military-backed effort last year to topple Morales from power following his reelection.