Bolivia: At least 30 injured in new clashes between police and protesters

Clashes between police and protesters, who have been blocking Bolivia's main roads since mid-October in support of & agrave; former president Evo Morales, left at least 30 people injured on Tuesday near the town of Mairana in the centre of the country.

“There are 29 injured (…) including 27 police officers,” declared the Minister of Health, Maria René Castro, specifying that the other two were a journalist and a demonstrator. The A local hospital had earlier reported 12 police officers and one civilian injured.

The protesters also briefly detained several police officers and two journalists from the Red Uno television channel.

Since October 14, supporters of former President Evo Morales (2006-2019) have been blocking the country's main roads to protest against the “judicial persecution” of their leader, as well as the government's handling of the crisis in which the country is plunged.

(COMBO) This combination of images created on October 28, 2024 shows Bolivian President Luis Arce (L) during a press conference at the government palace in La Paz on August 31, 2023, and former Bolivian President Evo Morales speaking at a press conference in La Paz on October 11, 2023 © AFP – AIZAR RALDES

Protesters “cowardly attacked” the Mairana police station, causing “several police officers injured” as well as material damage, police said on social media.

The town of Mairana is on the road that connects La Paz to Santa Cruz, Bolivia's economic capital, in eastern Bolivia. country.

“We want to strongly condemn this type of violence, because this is no longer a demonstration (…) but criminal acts,” Deputy Minister of Communication Gabriela Alcón told the media.

Since the start of the protests, 43 people have been injured, the vast majority among the police, and 50 protesters have been arrested, according to the official toll.

– “International investigation” –

The road blockades began after the opening of an investigation targeting Evo Morales for the “rape” of a teenager in 2015, which could lead to his arrest. His lawyers say the case was already examined and closed in 2020.

The former leader says he is the victim of “judicial persecution” orchestrated by the government of President Luis Arce, his former Minister of Economy and rival for the presidential election of August 2025, in which he intends to run despite a judgment disqualifying him.

Photo published by Radio Kawsachun Coca (RKC) showing bullet holes on a pickup truck in which former Bolivian President Evo Morales was traveling, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on October 27, 2024 © Kawsachun Coca – Handout

On Sunday, Evo Morales even claimed, with video evidence, that he had been targeted by a bullet attack while he was driving in a car in the Chapare region, in the center of the country, accusing “elite agents of the Bolivian state” of having tried to assassinate him.

The government has given a completely different version, and claims that his motorcade ignored an anti-drug police check, accelerated and opened fire, injuring an agent. Interior Minister Eduardo Del Castillo on Monday called Morales's statements “staged.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Morales counterattacked and directly accused Mr. Del Castillo of having wanted to kill him: “He organized and ordered the operation,” he wrote on X, calling for an international and independent investigation” by regional bodies, mentioning the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America (ALBA).

Supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales march in Parotani, 40 kilometers from Cochabamba, Bolivia, on October 29, 2024 © AFP – AIZAR RALDES

President Luis Arce said Sunday that he had ordered “an immediate and thorough investigation to clarify the incident.” His deputy minister for security, Roberto Rios, had already specified that the authorities were considering the possibility that it was a “self-attack.”

In total, more than 20 roadblocks have been reported in the country, most of them in the state of Cochabamba, the stronghold of Mr. Morales, a former coca farmer whose supporters are mainly indigenous peasants. These roadblocks have exacerbated fuel shortages and led to long lines of vehicles in the cities. Commodity prices have also soared on the markets.

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