The Bolivian government accused former president Evo Morales of trying to undermine the constitutional order and destabilize the situation in the country due to the blocking of highways by his supporters, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia draws the attention of the international community to the fact that events are taking place in our country aimed at destabilizing the situation in it. These actions are led by former President Evo Morales, who is attempting to undermine the democratic order, which poses a threat not only to Bolivia, but to the stability and security of our region,” the department said in a statement.
The Bolivian foreign ministry called the road closures by Morales supporters criminal. “They are disrupting the supply of food, fuel and medicine and hindering the free movement of citizens, violating individual and collective rights, as well as causing economic harm to Bolivian families,”, the text says. According to the authorities, as a result of clashes with supporters of the former president, 14 policemen were seriously injured.
„ Our government has repeatedly demonstrated readiness for dialogue, but it is obvious that personal interests are behind these protests,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to newspaper El Deber, supporters of the former president, who criticizes the policies of the current government, blocked several of the country's major highways for 13 days. On October 25, near the village of Parotani, through which passes the road connecting the city of Cochabamba with the western part of Bolivia, there were serious clashes between police and protesters that lasted for more than two hours. According to the publication, Morales supporters threw improvised explosive devices at the police, and the police responded with tear gas.
On August 22, Bolivian President Luis Arce announced plans to hold a referendum on the issues of maintaining fuel subsidies, the number of parliamentarians and the possibility of presidential re-election. The authorities want to limit the possibility of electing a head of state to two terms, regardless of whether they are consecutive or not. If the proposal is approved, Morales, who came to power in January 2006 and was president until November 2019, would not be able to run for re-election in 2025, despite his expressed desire.
Arse was Morales' economy minister and his protégé in the October 2020 presidential election. However, disagreements later arose between the politicians, in particular over who should become the presidential candidate of the ruling Movement towards Socialism party .