Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, with unidentified men opening fire on his car in the country’s Chapare region.
Morales and his successor, President Luis Arce, have been engaged in a bitter power struggle within the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party.
Morales, 65, blamed Arce’s government for the attack, claiming it was part of a coordinated campaign to sideline him from politics.
“This is not an isolated incident,” said the Morales-aligned bloc of the divided MAS party in a statement. “It’s clear evidence that we are facing a fascist government that does not hesitate to attack the life of former President Evo Morales.”
According to reports, two vehicles with heavily armed men dressed in black ambushed Morales’ convoy, with bullets whizzing just centimeters from the ex-president’s head.
Morales’ driver was reportedly injured in the attack.
In response, President Arce condemned the attack and requested an investigation. “The exercise of any violent practice in politics must be condemned and clarified,” Arce wrote on social media platform X. “Problems are not resolved by trying to kill people or by partisan speculation.”
However, Deputy Security Minister Roberto Rios suggested that Morales may have staged the attack himself to further his own political interests. “Morales is seeking confrontation and violence on the streets for political interests and to achieve impunity,” Rios told reporters.
