Thirty people have been arrested for participating in road blocks in Parotani, Cochabamba amid continued efforts by Bolivian authorities to bring an end to blockades organized by supporters of former president Evo Morales who is currently engaged in a power struggle within the Movement for Socialism (MAS) political party with the current president of Bolivia, Luis Arce.
Blockades Amid a Power Struggle
The news of the 30 arrested demonstrators was announced by Héctor Arce, a politician who is aligned with Morales’ faction within MAS, on Saturday and has seemingly been confirmed by two precautionary hearings regarding the cautionary imprisonment of those arrested.
The 30 arrested will stand trial on charges of terrorism, armed uprising against the security and sovereignty of the State, arms trafficking, illegal possession and carrying of weapons, public incitement to commit crimes, attack on the security of the means of transport, attacks on the security of public services, criminal association, and kidnapping.
Amid rising tensions between the factions of MAS, Bolivia’s Foreign Ministry accused Morales and his men of holding over 200 soldiers captive in a statement on Saturday following a clash between security forces and demonstrators on Saturday. According to the Foreign Ministry, three units were attacked by irregular groups who also seized arms and ammunition held at the units’ military facilities.
The Foreign Ministry reiterated the government’s previous willingness to hold dialogue with groups active in the internal struggle, but stated that following the attacks such dialogue cannot be held due to continued attacks on security forces. The Foreign Ministry ended their statement with a promise to continue efforts to end the blockades until “security, peace, and tranquility are restored to Bolivian homes,” while those partaking in the roadblocks will ultimately be arrested and tried.
Continued Conflict as Internal Dispute Worsens
The blockades follow an investigation into Morales for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl who was a member of his political youth guard in 2015, according to Justice Minister Cesar Siles. A prosecutor summoned the former president on October 11 in order to extract a statement, a summons that was ultimately ignored by Morales, leading to the possibility of an arrest warrant being issued for the former president.
In wake of the accusations, Morales has vehemently denied the charges, claiming that they are a “lie” and an attempt by Arce’s government to remove him from the ongoing power struggle within MAS.
Leaked documents surrounding the case accuse Morales of fathering a child with the 15-year-old girl, with Morales allegedly being recognized on a birth certificate for the child.
Efforts undergone by security forces also follow an alleged assassination attempt against Morales which took place on October 27. In a video which circulated social media on the day of the alleged assassination attempt, Morales can be seen seated in the passenger seat of a vehicle alongside at least two others while gunshots can be heard in the background and bullet holes are visible in both the windshield of the vehicle and the rear window as Morales and his driver attempt to flee the attack.
Morales claimed the attack was the fault of President Arce, who, according to the former president, sent “elite agents of the Bolivian State” to murder him. In a statement published on X, Morales called upon the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to activate Article 41 of the American Convention on Human Rights, which allows the IACHR to conduct investigations into human rights abuses and issue special or precautionary measures in order to secure the security of affected groups or individuals.
Bolivia’s Deputy Security Minister, Roberto Rios, denounced claims by Morales that authorities were responsible for the attack, announcing in his own statement that authorities had begun an investigation into a possible “self attack” launched by Morales, a theory that suggests the attack was in order to inflame tensions between factions within MAS and support his own aspirations to be reelected as president.
“Morales is seeking confrontation and violence on the streets for political interests and to achieve impunity,” Rios told reporters.
Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo later claimed in a press conference on Monday that Morales’ convoy had fired upon an anti-narcotics patrol before running over one officer following a traffic stop on Morales’ convoy, which was suspected of transporting narcotics. The minister noted further that Morales had ordered his vehicles to be burned following the altercation with security forces.
Morales swiftly denied the accusation of transporting narcotics, questioning the reasoning for the “elite military and police team shooting more than 18 times at the vehicles I was traveling in” in a post on X.
The Cause of the Chaos
Morales resigned from office in 2019 amid what he claims was a coup after armed intruders entered his home in an alleged attempted arson attack alongside large-scale protests against his presidency. These protests began following the president's announcement that he would run for a third term under the Movement for Socialism Party (MAS), an illegal move as presidents in Bolivia are limited to two terms.
In order to secure a third term in office, Morales held a 2016 referendum to abolish term limits. This referendum failed, prompting the then-president to appeal to Bolivia's Supreme Court to allow Morales' presidential campaign in 2019. Morales won the subsequent election but faced growing public opposition to his new term amid allegations of electoral fraud after the president suspended the preliminary vote count after Morales was trailing in the polls. Electoral authorities later announced that Morales won the vote with just over 10 percent of the popular vote, allowing him to secure office without a run-off election.
Following Morales' resignation from office and subsequent flight to Mexico, the acting government announced another election for the presidential office. This election was won by fellow MAS party member, Luis Arce, who took office in 2020. Critics accused Arce of being a puppet for Morales, a claim the president denies to this day.
Tensions within the nation come amid a turbulent period within Bolivian history as the country has found itself in economic despair since the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down nations across the world.
As tensions remain high, the future of Bolivia is sure to maintain its chaotic stance, with the possibility of a disputed election akin to that of this year’s presidential election in Venezuela seeming all the more likely. Morales has been barred from running for office this year, preventing the former president from holding office legally, likely suggesting a major conflict regardless of which candidate wins the upcoming presidential election.
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