In Bolivia, clashes broke out between supporters of Evo Morales and government counterprotesters, causing injuries amid a worsening political conflict between Morales and President Luis Arce. Morales led a protest march to oppose Arce’s government, with insults and confrontations escalating into violence. Rifts within their socialist movement and critical economic issues fuel this strife as the nation approaches the 2025 elections.
In Bolivia, violent confrontations erupted between supporters of former President Evo Morales and government allies, resulting in numerous injuries amid rising political tensions. Morales, who led Bolivia from 2009 to 2019, initiated a protest march dubbed the “March to Save Bolivia” aimed at rallying support against current President Luis Arce. This event began serenely as approximately 10,000 Morales supporters traveled from Caracollo to La Paz but escalated into chaos when they encountered counterprotesters equipped with tear gas, stones, and firecrackers at the Panduro highway blockade. The counterprotesters were vocal in their disdain for Morales, declaring, “Evo, you traitor, your time has passed,” provoking Morales’ supporters, who responded with slingshots and rocks, chanting, “Evo, Bolivia wants you back!” This incident marks another chapter in the intensifying political discord between Arce and Morales ahead of the upcoming 2025 elections.
The conflict between President Luis Arce and Evo Morales, his predecessor and former ally, stems from deep-seated divisions that emerged within their shared socialist political movement. Morales, who governed Bolivia for more than a decade, and Arce, who succeeded him in 2020, fell out due to disagreements regarding internal party leadership beginning in 2021. As a result, protesters are increasingly holding Arce responsible for the nation’s economic challenges and ongoing fuel shortages. Arce, on his part, has accused Morales of orchestrating a destabilizing coup by mobilizing demonstrators. The tensions have escalated to the point that a high-ranking official in Arce’s administration referred to Morales’s protest as a “death march” aimed at undermining democracy in Bolivia. In a counter-response, Morales accused the government of employing plainclothes police to incite violence during the protests, an assertion that the Arce administration has categorically denied.
This recent clash poignantly illustrates the escalating hostilities between supporters of Evo Morales and the government of Luis Arce, underscoring the divisive political climate in Bolivia. As the nation gears up for the 2025 elections, these confrontations reflect the substantial rifts within the socialist movement and set the stage for further political turmoil. Morales, undeterred by a recent court ruling that may disqualify him from candidacy, intends to pursue another presidential run, ensuring that the rivalry between him and Arce remains a focal point of Bolivian politics.
Original Source: timesofoman.com
