Hit by unrest, Bolivia's capital awakens to uncertainty

After a night of looting and arson, Bolivia's capital woke up to drizzle and fog on Monday as the country faces an uncertain future amid a power vacuum.

After the security forces withdrew their support, President Evo Morales resigned on Sunday following three weeks of civil unrest over his disputed re-election.

The streets of La Paz had been left practically without police as the country's security services joined in the demands for Morales to resign and remained in their barracks.

Perched above the city, the country's seat of government, the satellite town of El Alto was struck by a night of looting and arson against shops, municipal buses and the homes of some of the country's leaders.

"La Paz experienced a night of terror. Vandals destroyed 64 Pumakatari buses" run by the local authorities, La Paz Mayor Luis Revilla said.

The streets of La Paz were completely deserted on Monday morning, with little public transport operating.

The 10 lines of Morales' signature public works, the La Paz cable car system, were stationary, leaving people to walk to work on the city's steep slopes.

Some police began returning to their posts, though, after a weekend of strike action.

"We've cut off the viper's head, but the body is still moving," a balaclava-clad policeman told reporters.

Returning to work, he also vowed to "stop the leaders of the disturbances."