2024-10-30 07:00:00
In Bolivia, 29 people were injured in clashes between police and supporters of ex-President Evo Morales, according to government figures. Health Minister María René Castro said on Tuesday that all but two of the injured were police officers. The violence occurred in the town of Mairana in the center of the country. Morales supporters have been blocking streets there since the middle of the month in solidarity with Morales to prevent the ex-president from being arrested.
The judiciary is currently investigating Morales. He is accused, among other things, of raping a 15-year-old girl during his term in office in 2015. The ex-president denies the allegations and says that the accusations are intended to prevent him from returning to power.
The left-wing Morales was Bolivia’s first indigenous president from 2006 to 2019 and was long very popular – until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in office in 2019. Although he won the election, he resigned after violent protests and temporarily fled the country.
In 2020, his former finance minister Arce became president. Both men want to run for office again in 2025. There is a bitter power struggle between the two.
Morales’ majority indigenous supporters see the ex-president as Arce’s victim. They are also protesting against the sharp rise in fuel and food prices in the country.
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