Former Bolivian leader Evo Morales said on Sunday that his car was shot and the footage was taken because of political disputes between Morales and former ally and current president Luis Arce. It reflects how intense the tensions are.
Morales posted a video on Facebook taken from inside the vehicle, showing him in the passenger seat and at least two bullet holes in the windshield. The driver appears to have been injured. Morales wrote that the government is to blame.
The incident and allegations could spark further unrest and instability at a time when tensions are already high, with Morales supporters blocking major highways and clashing with security forces trying to clear highways. There is.
Morales claimed in a radio interview that two vehicles intercepted him on the road and fired shots at his car, with the bullets passing inches from his head. “We don’t know if they were soldiers or police,” he said.
Deputy Security Minister Roberto Ríos told reporters that police had not carried out any operations against the former president. “As authorities responsible for national security, we have an obligation to investigate any report, whether true or false,” Rios said.
The government on Saturday accused Morales of destabilizing the country by disrupting food and fuel supplies across the country with a two-week road blockade. He accused them of trying to “disturb the democratic order.”
The government said in a statement that some groups aligned with Morales were armed and warned of violence, saying 14 police officers were injured as they tried to break the blockade.
Morales and former economy minister Arce belong to the same Movement for Socialism (MAS) party, but clashes have intensified over the past year as part of a power struggle ahead of elections scheduled for 2025. .
The country faces declining gas production, depleting foreign exchange reserves and rising inflation, increasing pressure on the ruling party and leading to increasingly nasty political infighting.
Morales is also suspected of having a relationship with a minor. He was formally subpoenaed by the district attorney to testify in the case, but failed to appear and is currently facing a warrant for his arrest. Mr. Morales denies the accusations.
