FORMER Bolivian president Evo Morales warned today of a “Condor II” campaign, backed by the US and the European Union, being waged to destabilise progressive governments across Latin America.

He accused the EU representative to Bolivia of actively participating in the November 2019 coup that drove him from power and forced him to flee the country amid allegations of voter fraud that were later proved unfounded.

The 27-member neoliberal economic bloc was quick to recognise the government of Jeanine Anez, appointed by the military soon after, while the European Parliament refused to call the ousting of Mr Morales a coup.

In July 2020 the European Parliament called for the release of Ms Anez, who is in jail facing charges of sedition for her role in the coup and the massacre of indigenous Bolivians that followed. “We are watching in horror a wave of political persecution,” it said in a statement.

By contrast, it had remained silent— despite the harrowing testimonies of victims — over the torture and sexual assaults of people at the hands of the coup regime, along with the mass arrests and political persecution of supporters of Mr Morales.

Operation Condor was established in Chile by the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet in 1975. Backed by the US, its aim was to prevent the emergence of democratic governments with social democratic or left-wing programmes that could threaten capitalist interests.

As many as 60,000 people were killed, 30,000 “disappeared” and 400,000 jailed as military dictatorships in Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina colluded in hunting down left-wing activists and political opponents.

Today, US and EU strategy includes coercive sanctions against progressive governments in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, coupled with an aggressive media campaign and support for right-wing opposition groups.

Last week Miami Mayor Francis Suarez called for US military action, including air strikes, against Cuba, while a heavily funded social media campaign aims at fomenting regime change on the socialist island.

“The Condor plan was run by the US and its dictatorships. Today Condor plan II aims to destabilise progressive governments in Latin America,” Mr Morales said. “It is also supported by the European Union and some of its government, so much so that its representative in Bolivia participated in a coup d’etat.”

Despite the best efforts of the US, Mr Morales’s Movement Toward Socialism returned to power in October, winning the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Marxist-Leninist Pedro Castillo won the Peruvian presidential elections last month while Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva is the overwhelming favourite to win in Brazil next year, as the so-called “pink tide” in Latin America continues.