The Bolivian government accused Evo Morales of first firing at the police officers who attacked him

Bolivian government minister, Eduardo del Castillo, accused former Bolivian President Evo Morales of “attempted assassination”, claiming he had fired at police from his vehicle at a checkpoint on a highway crossing the coca-growing The region of Cochabamba in the center of the country. He thus explained what happened last Sunday, when, according to the video presented by Morales’ followers, shots were fired at the truck in which the former president was traveling.

“At a routine check post, police officers ask a vehicle to drive slowly; They identify themselves as police officers; Then from the vehicle they take out firearms and shoot at the police officers and their vehicles,” del Castillo said. According to the minister, in its eagerness to escape, the car ran over a member of the police and broke his leg. “A police vehicle chases him and he gets shot. Police stop and regroup, del Castillo said, asking for help from the military from a nearby barracks, where the Army’s 9th Division operates. “They are injured and are leaving for Santa Cruz,” he said, without specifying the transport they used. He also did not explain why he did not report the incident on the day it occurred. Instead, he suggested that Morales’ truck was carrying “controlled substances (drugs)” and that was why the politician did not want to stop at the checkpoint. “Mr. Morales: Who gave the weapons to the people in your vehicle? Why do you edit your videos and not show that the police were shot? Mr. Morales, no one believes in the theater in which you performed,’ ‘The minister asked the question.

Before del Castillo’s statement, one of the main hypotheses about what happened was that the shooting occurred during a failed arrest operation for the former president, which led to indiscriminate firing on his truck. Morales has an arrest warrant in the investigation into an alleged allegation of raping a minor daughter in 2016. The indictment claims that Morales “paid off” the mother and other relatives with political favors and favors to the teen. Morales denies this.

According to the former president’s version, he was traveling at 6:30 am on Sunday between Villa Tunari, the town where he lives, and Llauca Ñ, where he lives. Radio Kausachun KokaWhere he was going to do his usual Sunday program. Then he was stopped by two trucks, because they could not block his way, so they opened fire on his vehicle. Then, according to what he said, he had to change transportation because the shots destroyed one of his tires. A second vehicle was chased in which more shots were fired.

“The former president was not hurt,” he said after the incident, but “a bullet passed a few inches above my head.” “I have taken many risks, but this was the worst risk of my life. ..18 shots. Nothing more and nothing less came from (President Lewis). fought Arce and (Vice President) David Choquehuanca. “I’m not going to leave, we’re going to protest,” Morales said Monday.

The former President’s driver suffered superficial injuries to the back of his head. Minister del Castillo said that these statements are unbelievable, since no car can run with a broken tire and no driver can drive with such injuries as can be seen in the images released by Morales.

Both versions agree that it happened near the headquarters of the Ninth Division. On Sunday, Bolivian journalist John Arandia obtained photographs of a police helicopter and a group of elite officers armed with long weapons, apparently located in that barracks.

Following Morales’ complaint, dozens of coca growers surrounded the military installation to demand an explanation, as there were witnesses that the trucks that had followed the indigenous leader had entered it. This was confirmed by del Castillo. During the protest, a soldier was recorded admitting to protesters that the owners of the vehicles were “pakos” (police officers) and that they had already fled in their helicopters. People demanded that the army hand over the suspected vans, which they eventually did. The mob burnt them. The government minister announced that the burning of the cars was done to eliminate evidence that could show what had really happened.

In addition to besieging the barracks, the farmers took over the local airport in Chimore to avoid air operations that could lead to further attempts to arrest their leader. And they massively increased the obstacles that they have been carrying out for the same purpose for 15 days and which have generated huge rejection among the population of many cities suffering from food and fuel shortages amid the country’s economic crisis.

Evo Morales is the most popular Bolivian politician as well as the most unpopular, depending on which social sectors are consulted. Minutes after the incident, video was circulated in which he is seen in the passenger seat while the driver drives at high speed next to him, with the truck’s windows open and his assistants following him from behind the vehicle. While yelling at him to step down, a portion of the population began to doubt and criticize him. Social networks were filled with memes lamenting that the alleged attack was not successful. But the most common disqualification was “self-attack”, further encouraged by pro-government spokesmen and “anti-Evista” media. In his appearance before the press, del Castillo admitted that there had been a clash with the police, but he denied that anyone wanted to kill Morales.

On the network, the former president’s face was superimposed over a photo of an actor holding an Oscar statuette and other similar signs of his “great performance”. Some media linked what happened in Chapare with an article about cases of relationships with minors involving the former president, suggesting that the video about Morales was a sham to divert attention.

Avismo’s response to these suspicions has been to ask the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for “precautionary measures” to protect the life of the indigenous leader. He has also requested the European Union and the United Nations to join it. The Organization of American States called for an investigation and rejected all forms of violence in Bolivian politics.

In addition to the presidents of Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba and Honduras, former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner and other leftist figures have rejected the “assassination attempt” that Morales’ communication presents as the incident. So far there has been no public message from the leaders of Brazil, Mexico or Chile, who are also part of the continental left.

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