Former Bolivian President Evo Morales claimed he survived an assassination attempt when unidentified gunmen fired at his car, escalating the power struggle between him and current President Luis Arce, AP News reports.
The attack involved two vehicles with armed men that ambushed Morales’ convoy, and he reported that bullets narrowly missed him. Morales, who was uninjured, accused Arce’s government of orchestrating the attack to politically undermine him amid a power struggle within their party, the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), ahead of upcoming elections. Arce condemned the violence and called for an investigation, while Deputy Security Minister Roberto Rios suggested that Morales may have staged the attack for political gain.
The political rivalry has escalated tensions in Bolivia, with roadblocks and protests occurring in Morales’ stronghold in the Chapare region following new legal threats against him. Morales has faced accusations of serious crimes, including a revived child abuse case, which he claims are politically motivated. Morales’s resurgence in popularity following his ousting in 2019 has sparked government backlash, with Arce warning that he poses a threat to national stability.