A Bolivian indigenous witch doctor prays during a ceremony for presidential candidate Evo Morales (right) of the MAS (Movement toward Socialism) during an Aymara ritual in Lloqo Lloqo, about 60 km (37 miles) from La Paz, yesterday. - REUTERS
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP):
THE TOP presidential candidate has sued the president and defence minister for allegedly sacrificing Bolivia's sovereignty by deactivating 30 anti-aircraft missiles, further stirring controversy only weeks ahead of the election.
In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Indian leader and coca farmer Evo Morales, who leads polls in the presidential race, accused President Eduardo Rodriguez and Defence Minister Gonzalo Mendez of "putting Bolivia under foreign domination, acting against the constitution and dereliction of duty," according to Hector Arce, attorney for Morales' Movement Toward Socialism party.
The destruction of the missiles, which coincides with a U.S.-led campaign to rid the region of portable arms that could fall into the hands of terrorists, increasingly has become a campaign issue for Morales.
Mendez has argued that the shoulder-launched missiles were obsolete and were deactivated for safety reasons.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, has ordered an investigation of the case and will comment on the lawsuit after he has had a chance to review it, presidential spokesman Julio Pemintel said.
