Bolivia: Evo Morales Supporters Intensify Roadblocks
Roadblock in Bolivia, Oct. 21, 2024. X/ @eldesconcierto
October 21, 2024 Hour: 2:20 pm
In the city of La Paz, fuel is scarce, and there are long lines of vehicles at distribution points.
On Monday, the road blockades in Bolivia by supporters of former President Evo Morales have entered their second week, leading to shortages of fuel and some products in the Andean country.
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Indigenous and social organizations known as ‘Evistas’ have increased the number of blockades on several roads in the central part of the country. They are protesting against a possible arrest warrant issued against the leader of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS).
In the city of La Paz, fuel is scarce, and there are long lines of vehicles at distribution points. Many drivers spent the night in their cars, waiting to refuel with gasoline or diesel.
At dawn on Monday, the Bolivian police prevented an attempt by the ‘Evistas’ to block the highway connecting La Paz with the city of Oruro, which is the main route to the central and eastern parts of the country.
Since the Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against Evo Morales, the former president has not left the Cochabamba region, even missing a summons from the Prosecutor’s Office in Tarija to testify in the case of human trafficking and statutory rape.
Morales insists on his presidential candidacy and recently stated that if he wins the 2025 general elections, he will need US$1 billion to start his administration. Meanwhile, his supporters continue to monitor the entrances to the coca-growing region of the Tropic of Cochabamba, where one of Morales’ residences is located. The road blockades and the accusation against the MAS leader are taking place amid a power struggle between Arce and Morales over control of the ruling party.
The two politicians have been at odds since late 2021. Morales insists on being the MAS presidential candidate for the 2025 elections, while Arce has said he will not allow the ruling party to be controlled by “one person.”
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
