Bolivia: road unblocking operation leaves 66 detainees investigated for terrorism

The Government of Bolivia reported this Friday on the arrest of 66 people during the police and military operation carried out this day to lift part of the road blockades that the followers of former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) have been carrying out for 19 days in the center of the country. .

“Today (Friday) the Bolivian Police has achieved the arrest of 66 people committing a series of crimes in flagrante delicto against the lives of law enforcement officers of the Police and the Armed Forces and generating chaos and terror for more than 19 days,” the Minister of Government (Interior) told the media. Eduardo del Castillo.

Of the total number of detainees, 55 people were transferred that same day to La Paz “because in accordance with current legal regulations, terrorist crimes must be investigated here, at the headquarters of Government,” he explained.

These people too They will be investigated for other crimes such as armed uprising, arms trafficking, illegal possession or carrying of weapons, public incitement to commit a crime, attacks against the security of means of transport, attacks against the security of public services, criminal association and kidnapping.he added.

Del Castillo pointed out that the plan to unblock the highway that goes from the central region of Cochabamba to the west of the country required the mobilization of more than 3,000 police officers who had support from the military and regretted that 21 agents have been injured.

The minister assured that the first phase of this plan was completed, “but the mission has not been achieved” because Cochabamba “remains kidnapped” by the persistent blockades on the routes to the east of the country.

In the afternoon, Evo Morales asked his followers to consider pausing the blockades to avoid “bloody events” in the face of the advance of the police and military operation.

It was also declared in hunger strike in the Tropics of Cochabamba, its union and political bastion in central Bolivia, to force the Government to dialogue about the political and economic demands of its loyal sectors and requested that international organizations “or friendly countries” participate in this negotiation.

Nevertheless, Its related sectors decided to maintain the pressure measure and they highlighted their decision to start a hunger strike in the face of what they considered a “brutality of the Government of Luis Arce”.

The unlocking progressed amid an exchange of tear gas fired by the agents and dynamite attacks and stones by the protesters.

presidential statement

President Arce stated on his social networks that “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” with road blockades.

The president maintained that on this day “a first step” was taken with the unblocking of the highway to western Bolivia and assured that they will continue “working until they free” Cochabamba “of the kidnapping to which he is subjected.”

He also expressed his “solidarity” with the police officers injured during the operation, with the soldiers who are held as “hostages” in three military units taken over by sectors loyal to Morales in the Tropics of Cochabamba and “with the journalists who suffered violence on this day.”

“Again, we urge that all blocking points be lifted,” he added.

The leader of the government Movement to Socialism (MAS) He has been entrenched in the Cochabamba Tropics for 19 days due to the possibility that an arrest warrant will be issued against him due to the human trafficking and rape.

His followers demand with the road blockades that the judicial proceedings against Morales be withdrawn, the economic problems be resolved and also in defense of the politician’s presidential candidacy for the 2025 elections.

The authorities have indicated that Economic losses exceed 1.7 billion dollars and that the problems of fuel shortages and inflation were worsened by the blockades.

Arce and Morales have been estranged since 2021 due to differences in the State administration that deepened due to the need to renew the national leadership of the MAS and elect the official candidate for the 2025 elections.