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The Bolivian government has accused the country’s former president of staging an assassination attempt on himself.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Yesterday, former Bolivian President Evo Morales claimed he was the target of an assassination attempt when his car was reportedly fired upon, with bullets piercing the windshield and injuring his driver. According to Morales, masked assailants intercepted his vehicle while he was en route to a radio station in Cochabamba in the early hours. A passenger in the car recorded the entire incident, which Morales later posted on social media.
BREAKING: Former president Evo Morales survives an apparent assassination attempt in Shinahota, Bolivia. 14 gunshots against the vehicle he’s traveling in. His driver is wounded. pic.twitter.com/Kh3DRwd0iN
— Camila (@camilapress) October 27, 2024
What the Bolivian government is saying: Despite Morales’ claims, the Bolivian government has pushed back on the claims of the assassination attempt, instead arguing that the former president staged the attack himself. According to Minister of Government Eduardo del Castillo, an anti-drug police unit was conducting a routine patrol when Morales’ convoy allegedly attempted to evade a checkpoint, injuring an officer in the process. The government claims that Morales’ vehicles fired at police before fleeing and were later deliberately set ablaze to destroy any evidence.

Digging Deeper: This all comes as tensions between Bolivian President Luis Arce and former President Evo Morales have intensified, fueled by a power struggle within their Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party and their competing visions for Bolivia’s future. Although Arce was once seen as Morales’ chosen successor, their relationship has soured, with Morales now positioning himself as a vocal opposition leader ahead of the 2025 elections. Morales has accused Arce of corruption, abandoning their party’s principles, and using his power to launch investigations into him to diminish his chances of returning to power.

On the other side, the government argues Morales is destabilizing the nation through actions like recent highway blockades that have led to severe food and fuel shortages. Earlier this year, these divisions hit an all-time high when a failed coup attempt by General Juan Jose Zúñiga, involving armed forces and an effort to seize government offices. The government has alluded that the former President played a role in the coup, a claim the President denies.