YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Bolivian Defense Minister Javier Zavaleta has announced his resignation amid the ongoing protests that have gripped the country, the South American country’s Defense Ministry wrote on its Twitter account, reports TASS.

“I’m stepping down as the defense minister in order to maintain unity in the Armed Forces”, the minister stressed.

Zavaleta stressed that he and Commander-in-Chief Evo Morales, who earlier resigned, “have never ordered soldiers and sailors to take up arms against their people and would never do this”. “If now the military uses weapons against people, this will be the responsibility of those who have made this decision”, he noted.

Earlier, the chief commander of the Bolivian armed forces, Williams Kaliman, announced that the military would join an effort on maintaining order in the streets upon a request from police.