Politics 200 military personnel detained in occupied barracks in Bolivia
Supporters of Bolivia's former president Evo Morales have reportedly taken more than 200 military personnel hostage. During protests on Friday, the groups occupied three military facilities in the province of Chapare in the central Bolivian region of Cochabamba, according to a statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry. The attackers also brought weapons of war and ammunition into their possession, the ministry added.
03.11.2024, 01:05
SDA
The conflict between former President Morales and the ruling President Luis Arce is coming to a head ahead of next year's presidential election. Supporters of Morales, who governed the country from 2006 to 2019, have been protesting for weeks. Morales wants to run again in the vote, although the Constitutional Court has banned him from running again. Among other things, Morales is trying to use the protests to push through an unconstitutional candidacy, said Arce.
Efforts to restore "normality to the streets of the country" would continue without interruption "until security, peace and tranquillity return to all Bolivian homes", the foreign ministry added. Dozens of police officers were injured in street clashes on Friday. After weeks of road blockades in the South American country, the police had previously taken action against the demonstrators in Cochabamba. Tear gas was used.
