Bolivia recognizes Palestine as a state
“Bolivia recognizes the Palestinian state along 1967 borders, together with Brazil and Argentina,” the Bolivian Foreign Affairs Ministry quoted Morales as saying.
The Bolivian president spoke with Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas three days prior to the announcement and promised to act accordingly.
Bolivia now joins the list of South American countries that have recognized a fully sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, the boundaries that existed before Israel captured East al-Quds (Jerusalem), the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
In early December, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay declared they recognize Palestine as a “free and independent” state based on the 1967 borders, The Jerusalem Post reported.
In light of the announcements by the South American countries, Palestinian negotiators this week, for the first time, asked European countries to recognize Palestine as a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip — even without a deal with Israel.
Palestinian officials said last week that they had asked the consuls general of France, Britain, Sweden, and Denmark as well as the European Union envoy to the PA-Israel talks to follow suit.
But late on Wednesday, the US Congress approved a resolution expressing opposition to any measure that would recognize an independent Palestinian state.