The Minister of Government of Bolivia, Eduardo Del Castillo, reported that members of the Bolivian Police were attacked by the security team of former President Evo Morales, which triggered a chase against the vehicle in which the coca leader was traveling. On Sunday morning, a routine police checkpoint was set up in Cochabamba, through which Morales' convoy passed, but it refused to stop and be inspected.
Del Castillo explained that the former president's convoy accelerated and drew firearms against the Police, firing shots at vehicles used in the fight against drug trafficking. Morales claimed to have been a victim of an assassination attempt after two vehicles in which he was being transported were hit by multiple bullets.
The minister reported that Morales switched to another vehicle from his convoy after receiving a shot in the tire, while his driver was injured in the attack. Morales and his allies directly blamed President Luis Arce and his Ministers of Government and Defense for the attack, but President Arce denied his participation and announced an investigation.
Amid the escalating conflicts in Bolivia, which have led to blockades on various roads, supporters of Morales headed to the barracks of the Ninth Division of the Army to seek explanations about the vehicles involved in the attack. Meanwhile, a police officer injured in the chase is hospitalized in a clinic in Santa Cruz with an open fracture of the tibia and fibula.
Del Castillo's version of the incident partially coincides with what Morales explained in his radio program, where he detailed that a vehicle crossed in front of him and another tried to block their rear, triggering the chase. The confrontations and tensions in Bolivia have led to a situation of uncertainty and conflict, with protests and disturbances marking the last weeks.
