Former Bolivian president Evo Morales claims to have survived an assassination attempt after unidentified men opened fire on his car in the coca leaf-growing region of Chapare, his rural stronghold. Morales alleged that the shots were fired while he was being driven to his weekly radio show, and that his driver was injured in the attack. The ex-president claimed that the attack was carried out by supporters of President Luis Arce, with whom he is fighting to be the candidate of the governing socialist party in next year’s presidential election.
Morales appeared on his weekly radio show, recounting the events and blaming Arce’s government for the attack. He accused Arce’s government of resorting to physical force because they were unable to defeat him politically. “Arce is going to go down as the worst president in history,” Morales said. “Shooting a former president is the last straw.”
Phone video circulating online shows Morales’s driver bleeding from the back of his head, and the car’s front windshield cracked by at least three bullets. Morales can be seen in the passenger seat holding a phone to his ear as the vehicle swerves and a woman shouts: “Duck.” The footage also shows the car’s rear windshield shattered, and Morales can be heard saying: “Papacho has been shot in the head,” apparently referring to his driver.
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales (Image via Getty)
Morales’s claim deepens political tensions in Bolivia, which is already reeling from a cash-strapped economy and political instability. The country has seen a series of high-profile events in recent months, including an alleged attempted coup by a rogue general and massive marches against the government’s mismanagement of the economy that turned violent.
The feud between Morales and Arce has also moved to the courts, with Morales facing an investigation into allegations that he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl in 2016, classifying their relationship as statutory rape. Morales has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and refused to give evidence in the case, sparking fears that he could be arrested.
Meanwhile, Arce has accused Morales of trying to undermine his administration to advance his own ambitions. Later on Sunday, Arce condemned the attack and requested an investigation, saying that “problems are not resolved by trying to kill people or by partisan speculation.” The controversy is expected to continue to dominate Bolivian politics in the lead-up to next year’s presidential election.
