BEEBolivia’s authorities has rejected claims by former President Evo Morales that it ordered a focused assault towards him.
Morales says his automobile got here beneath sustained gunfire Sunday night time within the Cochabamba area, in what he condemned as an try on his life.
But Bolivia’s Interior Minister, Eduardo del Castillo, stated the previous president’s convoy had fled an anti-drug patrol, throughout which his safety workforce fired on police and ran over an officer.
Evo Morales is embroiled in an influence wrestle with President Luis Arce over who ought to be the Movement for Socialism (MAS) get together’s candidate in subsequent yr’s elections.
Morales posted a video on social media on Sunday that appeared to point out no less than two bullet holes within the windshield of a automobile he was sitting within the entrance seat of.
In an announcement, a pro-Morales faction of the Mas get together stated males in black had fired on the car because it handed a army barracks. The faction stated it held President Arce’s authorities accountable.
But on Monday, del Castillo stated at a information convention that an anti-drug trafficking unit was on freeway patrol when Morales’ convoy fired at police and ran over an officer.
“Mr. Morales, nobody believes the theater you’ve gotten staged,” he added.
Morales disputed this account, saying in a publish on X that he had been shot “greater than 18 instances.” He had returned fireplace after police opened fireplace, he stated.
Morales, who was president from 2006 to 2019, is going through authorized points, together with investigations into alleged statutory rape and human trafficking, which he denies.
For weeks his supporters have blocked the nation’s principal roads and clashed with police.
Morales claims the allegations are a part of a right-wing vendetta towards him by the interim president who changed him in workplace after he resigned in 2019 following allegations of election fraud.
Both he and Arce have teams of loyal supporters keen to take to the streets – and in some circumstances interact in road fights – to point out their assist for his or her candidate.
