Mexican president says asylum granted to protect Evo Morales' life

Mexico granted Bolivia's beleaguered ex-president Evo Morales political asylum because his life was in peril, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday.

"We gave him asylum because his life was in danger and we had to act accordingly," Lopez Obrador told reporters during his daily press conference.

Lopez Obrador also praised Morales as an effective leader, saying "the indigenous president did a very good job."

He added, "hopefully people will hear about how ... he lifted Bolivia out of being a very poor and very marginalized country, how he brought about progress."

Morales landed in Mexico City on Tuesday. He resigned as president on Sunday, after his nation's armed forces withdrew their support.

Bolivia has been racked by anti-government protests since Morales won reelection to a fourth term in Oct. 20 elections, and the opposition refused to recognize his victory, claiming fraud.

"We lived up to our political and ethical responsibilities, and did what we believed to be fair and humane by granting Morales refuge," the Mexican president added.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)