Jean Arnault, who last year was Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, has proposed that officials from the U.N. and the Catholic Church conduct negotiations between supporters of Evo Morales, the multiple-term president who resigned earlier in November, and Jeanine Añez, the interim president.

Morales, the first indigenous leader in the country's history, is now in Mexico, which has accepted him in exile. He resigned last week and also removed the members of the electoral council who had overseen the disputed election.His supporters have taken to the streets of various Bolivian cities in recent days, barricading roads and getting involved in altercations with security forces. On some occasions, protesters brought weapons with them. Some protests have turned violent; two dozen people have been reported killed.

Morales condemned the violence and said that people were protesting against Añez because she was not the people's choice to lead the country. Rather, Monica Eva Copa does, Morales said. The Senate, of which a majority are from Morales's MAS political party, elected Copa the leader of the Senate, which would make her the country's leader if the presidential office is vacant. Complicating things was the subsequent Senate session in which Añez claimed the office; Morales's allies boycotted that session.

Many of Morales's supporters have called for new elections within 90 days. Añez has promised new elections but has not set a timeframe for them. The Senate Second Vice-president at the time that Morales, she declared herself President after the Senate First Vice-president, Rubén Medinaceli, also resigned. She has already reversed some of Morales's policies or decisions, including instructing officials from Venezuela to leave the country.

Meanwhile, people across the country waited in long lines for food and cooking fuel.