- Morales says car came under heavy gunfire in Cochabamba on Sunday
- He called it a targeted assassination attempt by the Bolivian government
- Bolivia’s Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo refuted these claims
Bolivian government denies alleged assassination attempt of Evo Morales
The Bolivian government has denied claims by former President Evo Morales that it orchestrated an attack on his life. Morales alleged that his car came under heavy gunfire in Cochabamba on Sunday night, sharing a video on social media that appeared to show bullet holes in his vehicle’s windshield. He called it a targeted assassination attempt.
However, Bolivia’s Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo refuted these claims, stating that Morales’ convoy had fled an anti-drug patrol, during which his security team allegedly fired at police and ran over an officer. Del Castillo dismissed Morales’ account as “theatre,” saying no targeted attack occurred.
Morales is locked in a power struggle with current President Luis Arce over the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party’s 2025 presidential nomination. The MAS faction supporting Morales accused men in black of shooting at his vehicle as it passed a military barracks, and they placed responsibility on Arce’s government.
Morales disputed the government’s version, saying he was shot at “more than 18 times” and had returned fire after police allegedly opened fire on his vehicle. His claims come amid broader tensions, with his supporters blocking roads and clashing with police over what Morales describes as politically motivated accusations of statutory rape and human trafficking.
The rivalry between Morales and Arce has ignited clashes between their loyalists, fueling instability within Bolivia’s ruling party ahead of next year’s election.