Morales flew to Mexico and was granted asylum there, along with his vice president and several other members of his government. Jeanine Áñez was declared acting president of Bolivia following the constitutional line of succession after the President, Vice President and Head of the Senate. She was confirmed Interim President by the Constitutional court who declared her succession to be constitutional and automatic. Morales, his supporters, the Governments of Mexico and Nicaragua, and other personalities argue the event as a coup d'état. International politicians, scholars and journalists are divided between describing the event as a coup or a spontaneous social uprising against an unconstitutional fourth-term. Protests to reinstate Morales as President continued, and was met with violence by security forces against the indigenous supporters of Morales, after Áñez had exempted police and military from criminal responsibility in operations for "the restoration of order and public stability".