The 2019–2020 Mexico–Bolivia diplomatic crisis began on 29 October 2019 when the Mexican government congratulated incumbent Bolivian President Evo Morales for his reelection victory.
[6] After Mexico granted asylum to leaders of the Movement for Socialism (MAS), Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called Morales's resignation a coup d'etat and refused to recognize the new government of Jeanine Áñez.
According to El País, these are ex-ministers Juan Ramón Quintana, Javier Zavaleta, Héctor Arce, César Navarro, Wilma Alanoca and Hugo Moldiz, in addition to the former governor of Oruro Víctor Vasquez, former deputy minister Pedro Dorado, and former director of the Agency of Electronic Government and Information and Communication Technologies (AGETIC), Nicolás Laguna.
[11] Murillo stated that the Mexican ambassador herself asked for extra security, on three separate occasions, because of threats to burn the embassy complex and lynch Quintana.
[8] On 27 December 2019, diplomats from Spain paid a courtesy visit to the Mexican embassy in La Paz and were delayed in their departure due to the detention of vehicles that were to pick them up from that location.
According to the Bolivian Foreign Ministry, the Spanish diplomats arrived at the residence of Mexico with "people with their faces covered", who "tried to enter surreptitiously and clandestinely" into the compound.
[15] Former President Jorge Quiroga also questioned the presence of the masked figures and asked that the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, apologize for the incident.
Deputy head of the European Union delegation, Jörg Schreiber, described his talks with Longaric as "open and constructive" and the relationship with the interim government as "very good".
[24] The decision to grant asylum to Evo Morales provoked Twitter hashtags #BienvenidoEvo and #EvoElMundoEstaContigo among supporters in Mexico, while opponents tweeted #EvoNoEresBienvenidoEnMexico.
[31] On 30 December 2019, the Spanish government said it "flatly rejects" the Bolivian suggestion that it has interfered in Bolivia's internal affairs and calls the decision to expel three diplomats a "hostile gesture."
"[36] On 1 January, the Bolivian government promised to supply more information about the incident, stating that "Bolivia wishes to overcome this impasse as soon as possible and maintain close relations with the Kingdom of Spain, within the framework of traditional respect and friendship that have always characterized them.
[39] On 2 January, Bolivia's interim foreign minister, Karen Longaric said she hoped to meet with her Mexican counterpart, Marcelo Ebrard, in a neutral country to solve the conflict.