LA PAZ, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's armed forces are prepared to act if protests threaten the constitutional order, commander-in-chief Gen. Victor Hugo Balderrama said Monday, as the country remains under a state of exception and faces a new wave of opposition-led mobilizations.
Balderrama told reporters that the military and police were ready to "defend the people" and uphold the country's Constitution.
He stressed that security forces would enforce the law to guarantee freedom of movement, as the state of emergency remains in effect.
Former President Evo Morales on Saturday gave President Rodrigo Paz's government until Oct. 3 to repeal decrees related to the removal of fuel subsidies and other economic measures, warning that he would lead nationwide protests starting Oct. 13 if the government failed to meet his demand.
Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano on Sunday called Morales' position "inconsistent," stressing that no one was above the law regardless of their ability to mobilize supporters, while acknowledging that Morales, like any other citizen, had the right to organize peaceful protests as long as they complied with the law. ■
