He former president of Bolivia Evo Morales denounced this Sunday that he had been victim of attempted murder when the vehicle in which he was traveling was shot fourteen times by a group of “hooded men” who attacked his convoy in the center of the country. Morales was heading from Villa Tunari towards Lauca Ñ. participating in the program when his car began receiving multiple gunshots, some of which hit the front window.
In his account, Morales identifies two vehicles, “apparently” Toyota Tundra models, from which they came. “Four officers, hooded and dressed in black, with weapons in their hands, began shooting”. While Morales’ vehicle is already in motion, the former president, in the front passenger seat, is seen in the footage speaking agitatedly on the phone and denouncing that they are being “persecuted” before cutting off communication.
Subsequently and after the incident, Morales added that one of his drivers was injured in the head and arm, but “in the end we saved his life”, without giving further details about his state. The former president finally accuses his former Minister of the Economy and current President of the country, Luis Arce, of this assassination attempt, with whom he has had numerous clashes in recent months. “Lucho has gone crazy”he assured.
Morales accuses Luis Arce’s government
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales (2006-2019) This Sunday, he accused Luis Arce’s government of seeking to “eliminate” him in an armed attack while he was traveling in his vehicle this morning. During a press conference in the tropics of Cochabamba, his political and union stronghold, the also leader of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) declared that Arce had changed the military high command the day before with a single objective: ” eliminate Evo Morales.
According to Morales, during a meeting with the Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo, and the Minister of Defense, Edmundo Novillo, President Arce allegedly planned the armed attack. The former president said in September that the government intended to “kill” him, and said Arce had told his ministers: “Only by eliminating Evo Morales will we eliminate MAS”.
Self-attack
In the first reaction of the government, the Deputy Minister of Citizen Security, Roberto Ríos, assured that the corresponding investigations would be launched, although he did not rule out the possibility that it was a self- attack. “As authorities, we are obliged to investigate any complaintWhether it’s true or a lie. I think the population already has a strong opinion about the possibility of a self-attack,” Ríos said in statements reported by the Bolivian newspaper “La Razón.”
Additionally, he denied there was an active arrest warrant for Morales, amid speculation about alleged sexual abuse he committed while president. “The Bolivian police have not received any arrest warrant against Mr. Evo Morales,” he stressed.
Ríos also rejected the idea of the government declaring a state of siege, as Morales declared. It is about “an absurdity pointed out by Mr. Morales”, although, when asked about possible militarization, he replied that “it is not appropriate to talk about it.”
The vice minister also said police were able to clear roads blocked by the pro-Morales wing of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) for 14 days, mainly in Cochabamba. Separately, former minister in the Morales presidency, Juan Ramón Quintana, called on relevant social movements to protect Morales because “Bolivia is no longer safe for him” and openly defended the need to expel him from the country.
The conservative opposition asked the government to prevent Morales from leaving the country and recalled that he is accused of crimes of rape of minors or rape of a minor, among others. “If the government does not act and arrest Evo Morales, he will become an accomplice of this criminal who should be behind bars,” said Creo MP Walty Éguëz, who believes that the shooting was prepared and seeks to justify his departure from the party. country.
In the same vein, the deputy of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) linked to Arce Rolando Cuéllar declared that it was a “a poorly planned self-attack” to “victimize” oneself and not responding to the accusations. “The self-attack and poorly planned simulation of the serial rapist Evo Morales (is) to victimize himself and seek support from the coca-producing population and international organizations,” Cuéllar said on social media.
“This mythomaniac does everything to let his crimes of trafficking and smuggling of minors go unpunished, since There are more than 15 minors and victims of this pedophile. How is it possible that in the heart of Chapare they want to create a homemade soap opera and trout, and that Radio Kawsachum Coca films it,” he added.
On the other hand, supporters of Morales from the MAS issued a statement according to which Morales was allegedly “ambushed” at the entrance to the military barracks of the 9th Division of the Armed Forces. “According to witnesses to the events, the cars carrying the troops who carried out the attack against Evo Morales then entered the military barracks, then into a helicopter which was waiting for them on the landing strip,” he assured .
The MAS thus “directly” accuses President Luis Arce, the Minister of Government, Eduardo del Castillo, and the Minister of Defense, Edmundo Novillo, and warns that “this is not an isolated event”. “We are facing a fascist government that does not hesitate to attack the life of former president Evo Morales, to recruit paramilitary groups, to criminalize social protest and to drag Bolivia into a fratricidal confrontation” , he denounced.
