FAST DOWNLOAD
Governments and political leaders close to former Bolivian President Evo Morales (2006-2019) condemned this Sunday the attack suffered by the leader of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) , who denounced that unknown assailants shot 14 times at the vehicle in which he was traveling to the station where he hosts a radio program on weekends, in an incident in which the driver was injured.
Speaking to Kawsachun Coca radio, Morales reported that his vehicle was followed by two or three others in which the attackers were travelling and who fired the shots at 6:25 in the morning in a place located between the towns of Villa Tunari and Lauca Ñ, in the department of Cochabamba , located in the centre of the country.
According to the former president, the driver of his car “deviated” from the planned route, but even then he was unable to avoid the chase. “That’s when I realized it was an operation,” he said.
The incident occurred two weeks after the blockade of roads by supporters of Evo Morales who demanded that the government withdraw the charges against their leader, who is accused of human trafficking and statutory rape, in a legal action they describe as political persecution.
Evo Morales sobrevive a intento de asesinato, este domingo el expresidente de Bolivia denunció que hombres armados realizaron 14 disparos contra su vehículo e hirieron a su chófer, mientras se dirigía al radio de Cochabamba a su programa semanal.
Visita https://t.co/sggMRoj1FK… pic.twitter.com/nqAV3SvmZO
— José Luis Morales (@JLMNoticias) October 27, 2024
In addition to demanding that the resolution issued by the congress of the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) that last year declared Morales the “sole candidate” for next year’s elections be respected, the protesters are also asking for solutions to the rising cost of food, and the lack of dollars and fuel.
Petro rejects the “fascist” attack against Morales
Colombian President Gustavo Petro was one of the Latin American leaders who spoke out about the incident, rejecting the “fascist” attack against former President Morales.
“All my solidarity with Evo, fascism is on the rise throughout Latin America. It is no longer just the legal elimination, now they are moving on to what they always do: the physical elimination of those who think differently,” wrote the Colombian president in a message on his X account.
Petro added that “the decision of the right to break the democratic pact puts the decisions of the popular vote at risk.”
“The times we live in, due to the global polycrisis of capital and humanity, are times when we must take a stand and firmly move towards real and global democracy,” said the President of Colombia.
Cristina Fernández describes the incident as a “criminal attack”
Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández (2007-2015) also expressed her “solidarity” in the face of what she described as a “criminal attack” against the former Bolivian president.
Fernández asked the current Bolivian government to take all necessary measures to guarantee Morales’ “security and physical integrity,” according to the message he posted on social media.
Cristina Fernández herself was the victim of a failed attack on her front door on September 1, 2022, when she was vice president. A man approached her and pulled the trigger of his gun, but the shot missed.
Maduro calls for investigation into the attack
For his part, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the attack against Morales, while expressing his solidarity with the former president.
“I trust that Bolivia, the beloved daughter of the liberator Simon Bolivar, and its institutions will investigate thoroughly and find those responsible,” he said in a message posted on Telegram.
Along the same lines, the Venezuelan government “repudiated the attack against Morales.
“This abhorrent act constitutes an act of fascist violence that seeks to instill violence and political hatred in Bolivian society,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement also published on Telegram.
The Chavista Executive welcomed the initiation of investigations into this incident by the Government of Luis Arce in order to “clarify and penalize this attack on the physical integrity of the former Bolivian president that disturbs the peace of Bolivians.”
Other voices reject the attack
Cuba also joined in the rejection and described what happened as a “cowardly aggression.”
“We reject the attempted assassination of brother Evo Morales, former president of Bolivia, a cowardly attack on peace and stability,” wrote Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on the social network X.
For her part, the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, condemned the attack and called for “urgent” measures to be adopted to guarantee the physical integrity of the political leader , to whom she expressed her solidarity.
“I condemn the violent attack against former President @evoespueblo. It is urgent to take measures to guarantee his safety,” Castro wrote on the social network X.
In a statement on social media, the political group Revolución Ciudadana (RC), led by former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), supported the Bolivian people and Morales with “deep solidarity” and said it “strongly condemns the assassination attempt against him.”
Bolivian President Luis Arce has ordered an investigation into the attack on Morales, a fellow party member with whom he is politically at odds.
“The exercise of any violent practice in politics must be condemned and clarified. Problems are not resolved by searching for the dead or by biased speculation,” wrote the Bolivian head of state on the social network X.
This allusion by Arce has to do with the fact that Morales has accused the Government of the incident.
The former president maintains that the plan to kill him is due to the fact that, in his opinion, attempts to destroy him politically and prosecute him have failed.
