Evo Morales says his car was shot at while trying to kill him
Evo Morales, the former president of Bolivia, said on Sunday the car he was traveling in was shot at in an incident he condemned as an assassination attempt.
A video he posted on social media appeared to show at least two bullet holes in the front seat of the car where Morales was sitting.
In a statement, Morales' party, the Movement for Socialism (Mas), said that men dressed in black shot at a car as it passed through a military camp. The party said it was involved in the government of President Luis Arce.
Arce condemned political violence and promised that an investigation would be carried out.
Both men are members of the ruling party of Mas. But they have fallen out and their relationship has become increasingly strained as both have announced their intention to run for Mas's party in the 2025 presidential election.
Morales says the attack was “a joint operation between the military and the police”. He went on to say that a bullet missed him by “centimeters” and the driver of the car was injured.
The attack took place near the base of the Ninth Division of Bolivia near Villa Tunari, in the center of the country, said Morales.
Morales' pro-Mas group says the attackers entered the military base before being evacuated by military helicopter.
“This is not an isolated incident, it is clear evidence that we are dealing with a fascist government,” said the group's statement.
Morales, who was president from 2006 to 2019, is facing legal problems that include an investigation into allegations of statutory rape and human trafficking, which he denies.
For weeks, his supporters have been blocking highways across the country and clashing with the police.
Morales says that these allegations are part of the allegations that the interim president replaced him after his resignation in 2019 following allegations of vote fraud.
Both he and Arce have groups of loyal supporters who are willing to take to the streets – and in some cases engage in street brawls – to show their support for their candidate.
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