The former president maintains his hunger strike // Analyst indicates that the coca leader is willing to take everything ahead to be reelected // 22 days of road blockades cause economic damage of 970 million dollars
▲ Evo Morales, third from right to left, began a hunger strike on Friday to demand dialogue from Luis Arce’s government.Photo video on social networks
Ap, Europa Press, Prensa Latina and Sputnik
La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, November 3, 2024, p. 16
Peace. Supporters of former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) took more than 200 soldiers hostage and seized weapons and ammunition in the coca-growing region of Chapare, the Bolivian government reported yesterday.
In a statement addressed to the international community, the Foreign Ministry indicated that The destabilizing escalation against the democratic system continues, despite the efforts and repeated calls for dialogue made by President Luis Arce.and emphasized that the appropriation of weapons and the taking of hostages by irregular groups is a threat and risk for the entire Bolivian population, the consequences of which are unpredictable.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed on the social network concern about the worsening of social conflict in Bolivia and called on the State of that nation to take measures to guarantee the lives of those detained and address points of social tension, prioritizing dialogue between the parties.
El Chapare is located in the central region of Cochabamba, Morales’s political fiefdom and the area most affected by the road closures that have now been in effect for 22 days in Bolivia.
Hundreds of trucks with food, export merchandise and fuel are trapped in the 16 blocked points that still persist, causing some 970 million dollars in losses, reported the Ministry of Rural Development.
Agricultural producers, transporters and merchants denounced: We can no longer sustain the crisis to which the current government has led us, the lack of foreign currency, lack of diesel, increase in prices of basic products, added to all this to give us the final blow, the blockades arrive.stated a joint statement from these three sectors.
Hugo Moldiz, one of Morales’ former ministers, told Panamericana radio: We are facing a suicide strategy of former President Morales, who is willing to take everything ahead, such as destroying the plurinational State, ending the process of change and finishing devastating the economic model because the attacks he has made on President Arce have there have been many since the government began. He added that Morales’ intention is wanting to be president again, by hook or by crookreported brujuladigital.net.
La Paz and other cities are suffering from food shortages and prices have escalated, worsening the economic crisis that is hitting Bolivians. Last week, producers threw flowers, milk, vegetables and fruit into the streets that had rotted due to blockades that prevented their arrival at retail outlets, the US news agency Ap reported.
Several sectors asked the government to declare a state of emergency in Cochabamba. Opponents, meanwhile, maintain that the Executive shows weakness in facing the conflict.
Yesterday, a police and military operation opened the most important route between the west and south of Bolivia, but the road that connects with the east, where the Santa Cruz region is located – the country’s agricultural engine – remains closed.
During the operation there were 66 detainees who were transferred to La Paz and will be accused of armed uprising, arms trafficking and other crimes.
Meanwhile, Evo Morales yesterday completed his first day of hunger strike from the Territory of Fight, He stated on social networks when referring to the headquarters of the Coordinator of the Six Federations of the Tropics, of Cochabamba, an organization that brings together the coca growers of Chapare and of which he is its president; In addition, he presented a video that shows a group of his coreligionists accompanying him in his protest act.
He announced that this protest will continue until the government agrees to set up dialogue tables for the economic crisis and political issues.
The Foreign Ministry indicated that the former president intends to go on hunger strike draw the attention of the international community and search shorten the term of the current administration.
Meanwhile, the head of the Executive responded on social network X: Our government has always opted for dialogue, but no dialogue is possible while the economy of Bolivian families continues to be suffocated and the right to access food, fuel and medicine is violated..
The conflict broke out three weeks ago when the prosecutor’s office announced that it would execute an arrest warrant against Morales for the alleged abuse of a minor under 15 years of age in 2016.
In Argentina, the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, reported that 15 days ago her portfolio presented a complaint for the alleged commission of human trafficking and sexual abuse against Morales, crimes that would have been perpetrated during the Bolivian’s political asylum in that country, between 2019 and 2020.
Furthermore, on October 27, Morales reported that his car was shot at while he was on his way to a radio program. The Minister of Government, Eduardo del Castillo, maintained, however, that the coca leader resisted the search of an anti-drug patrol and fled.
Morales accuses his heir and successor Arce of arm a court case to remove him from the 2025 presidential race. Arce blames Morales for boycott his management to aggravate the crisis for reasons personal and announced that his government will not allow impunity.
