Bolivia's government on Monday accused former president Evo Morales of falsely claiming he was the victim of a state-backed assassination attempt, saying police fired on his vehicle after he ran a highway checkpoint.

Morales, who is engaged in a tense stand-off with his former ally-turned-rival President Luis Arce, said his car was riddled with bullets Sunday by assailants with their faces covered while he was travelling to an interview in the city of Cochabamba.

He said his driver was wounded, but he was unharmed and that the car had 14 bullet holes.

The incident marked a dramatic escalation in the weeks-long stand-off between Morales and Arce, whose government has accused Morales of raping a teen member of his political youth guard while he was president.

A video shared by Morales on social media taken from inside the vehicle showed three bullet holes in the windshield, more in the shattered rear window, and the driver with blood on his head.&nbsp;

A woman in the back seat can be heard screaming to Morales in the front passenger seat to "duck, president, duck" and urging the driver to accelerate.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:8,&quot;y&quot;:333,&quot;w&quot;:723,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:41,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2018}">'Theater'</h2>

On Monday, Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo dismissed Morales' claim to have been the target of an assassination attempt.

Del Castillo said the car in which Morales was travelling failed to stop at a checkpoint set up by police to combat drug trafficking in central Chapare province, one of Bolivia's biggest producers of coca, the raw material for cocaine.

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Del Castillo said police motioned for the approaching vehicle to slow down but the driver ignored the order.

"Rather than slow down, they speed up, take out guns" and "shoot from inside a car" at police, the minister said.

Del Castillo said an officer was run over but survived before a police patrol gave chase to Morales's car and fired on it.

Labelling Morales' account of events as "theatre" he said the 65-year-old Indigenous ex-president would "have to answer... for the crime of attempted murder" of a police officer.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:8,&quot;y&quot;:712,&quot;w&quot;:723,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:41,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2397}">'This was planned'&nbsp;</h2>

The incident was expected to add to tensions in the Cochabamba region, where supporters of Morales have been blocking roads for two weeks to try prevent Morales' possible arrest.

"This was planned. The idea was to kill Evo," Morales said Sunday.

"Lucho has destroyed Bolivia and now he wants to eliminate our process by killing Evo," Morales, using the president's nickname, said of his own attempt to regain the presidency.

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The attack happened outside a military barracks in Cochabamba and that men dressed in black opened fire with rifles at his truck, his MAS party said in a statement.

Bolivia's army denied any involvement and called on Morales' supporters to remain calm after they threatened to take over the barracks.

Arce, writing on X, said that he had ordered "an immediate and thorough investigation to clarify the facts" surrounding what he called "the alleged attack" on Morales.

"Any violent practice in politics must be condemned and clarified," Arce added.

Morales has filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, based in Costa Rica, formally accusing "government agents" of trying to assassinate him.

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:8,&quot;y&quot;:1123,&quot;w&quot;:723,&quot;h&quot;:26,&quot;abs_x&quot;:41,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2808}">Former coca grower</h2>

Morales, a former coca grower who was Bolivia's first Indigenous president, was highly popular in the Andean country until he tried to bypass the constitution to seek a fourth term.

He was forced to resign after losing the support of the military following an election marked by allegations of fraud, and fled to Mexico.&nbsp;

He returned to Bolivia in 2020 seeking political resurrection.

He and Arce are both vying for the nomination of the ruling MAS party in the August 2025 presidential elections, although Morales is legally barred from running again.

He is being investigated for rape, human trafficking and human smuggling over his alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old supporter in 2015.&nbsp;

The girl had a child in 2016, whom prosecutors say Morales fathered. He has called the claims "a lie".

Arce on Saturday overhauled the military leadership as part of what he called a drive to restore order.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

Bolivia's government on Monday accused former president Evo Morales of falsely claiming he was the victim of a state-backed assassination attempt, saying police fired on his vehicle after he ran a highway checkpoint.

Bolivia's government on Monday accused former president Evo Morales of falsely claiming he was the victim of a state-backed assassination attempt, saying police fired on his vehicle after he ran a highway checkpoint. Morales, who is engaged in a tense stand-off with his former ally-turned-rival President Luis Arce, said his car was riddled with bullets Sunday by assailants with their faces covered while he was travelling to an interview in the city of Cochabamba. He said his driver was wounded, but he was unharmed and that the car had 14 bullet holes. The incident marked a dramatic escalation in the weeks-long stand-off between Morales and Arce, whose government has accused Morales of raping a teen member of his political youth guard while he was president. A video shared by Morales on social media taken from inside the vehicle showed three bullet holes in the windshield, more in the shattered rear window, and the driver with blood on his head. A woman in the back seat can be heard screaming to Morales in the front passenger seat to "duck, president, duck" and urging the driver to accelerate. 'Theater' On Monday, Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo dismissed Morales' claim to have been the target of an assassination attempt. Del Castillo said the car in which Morales was travelling failed to stop at a checkpoint set up by police to combat drug trafficking in central Chapare province, one of Bolivia's biggest producers of coca, the raw material for cocaine. Also read | Bolivia former president Morales says his vehicle was hit by gunfire Del Castillo said police motioned for the approaching vehicle to slow down but the driver ignored the order. "Rather than slow down, they speed up, take out guns" and "shoot from inside a car" at police, the minister said. Del Castillo said an officer was run over but survived before a police patrol gave chase to Morales's car and fired on it. Labelling Morales' account of events as "theatre" he said the 65-year-old Indigenous ex-president would "have to answer... for the crime of attempted murder" of a police officer. 'This was planned' The incident was expected to add to tensions in the Cochabamba region, where supporters of Morales have been blocking roads for two weeks to try prevent Morales' possible arrest. "This was planned. The idea was to kill Evo," Morales said Sunday. "Lucho has destroyed Bolivia and now he wants to eliminate our process by killing Evo," Morales, using the president's nickname, said of his own attempt to regain the presidency. Also read | Israeli parliament bans UNRWA, claims UN aid agency has 'deep connection' with Hamas The attack happened outside a military barracks in Cochabamba and that men dressed in black opened fire with rifles at his truck, his MAS party said in a statement. Bolivia's army denied any involvement and called on Morales' supporters to remain calm after they threatened to take over the barracks. Arce, writing on X, said that he had ordered "an immediate and thorough investigation to clarify the facts" surrounding what he called "the alleged attack" on Morales. "Any violent practice in politics must be condemned and clarified," Arce added. Morales has filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, based in Costa Rica, formally accusing "government agents" of trying to assassinate him. Former coca grower Morales, a former coca grower who was Bolivia's first Indigenous president, was highly popular in the Andean country until he tried to bypass the constitution to seek a fourth term. He was forced to resign after losing the support of the military following an election marked by allegations of fraud, and fled to Mexico. He returned to Bolivia in 2020 seeking political resurrection. He and Arce are both vying for the nomination of the ruling MAS party in the August 2025 presidential elections, although Morales is legally barred from running again. He is being investigated for rape, human trafficking and human smuggling over his alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old supporter in 2015. The girl had a child in 2016, whom prosecutors say Morales fathered. He has called the claims "a lie". Arce on Saturday overhauled the military leadership as part of what he called a drive to restore order. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Bolivian government ridicules Morales' assassination plot claims as 'theatre'

Bolivia's former leader Evo Morales said on Sunday his vehicle was hit by gunfire captured in a video, reflecting how political tensions between him and the Andean nation's current president Luis Arce have turned violent.

Arce in comments on social media called for an "immediate and thorough investigation" of the incident and condemned any use of violence in politics.

Morales posted a video on Facebook taken on Sunday morning from inside a moving car, showing him sitting in the front passenger seat and at least two bullet holes in the windshield.&nbsp;

A statement from a Morales-aligned bloc of the socialist MAS political party, itself split&nbsp;in&nbsp;half with loyalties divided between Morales and Arce,&nbsp;said that his convoy was ambushed near a military barracks by two vehicles with heavily armed men dressed in black.

Video shared with Reuters showed a frantic chase, during which Morales switched cars and his driver was injured.

Reuters could not independently verify the contents of the video or the claims made by Morales and his allies.&nbsp;

The incident occurred at a time when&nbsp;Bolivia&nbsp;already has been gripped by tensions. Morales supporters have blocked key highways for two weeks, impeding delivery of food and fuel around the country, and clashed with security forces trying to clear the obstacles.&nbsp;Arce's government on Saturday accused Morales of "destabilizing" the country and trying to "interrupt democratic order."

In a radio interview after the incident, Morales said two vehicles intercepted him on the road and fired upon his car, saying a bullet passed "centimeters" from his head. The MAS statement said that a bullet hit the arm of the second vehicle's driver and another grazed his head.

"I don't know if they were soldiers or police," Morales said on the radio.

Bolivia's Deputy Security Minister Roberto Rios told journalists that police had not carried out any operation against Morales.

"As authorities in charge of state security, we are obliged to investigate any report, whether it is true or false," Rios said.

Morales, who served three terms as president, resigned in 2019 after a disputed election plunged the country into turmoil. Arce, his former economy minister, was elected the following year.

Arce is expected to run for reelection in the 2025&nbsp;Bolivian election. Morales also has said he wants to be a candidate in next year.

The statement from the Morales-aligned MAS faction accused Arce and two government ministers of orchestrating the attack.

"This is not an isolated incident. It is clear evidence that we are facing a fascist government that does not hesitate to attack the life of former President Evo Morales," the statement said, claiming also that the assailants were seen entering the military barracks and subsequently boarding a helicopter waiting on the airstrip.

The country is also grappling with dwindling natural gas production, drained foreign currency reserves and rising inflation, which is increasing pressure on the ruling party and leading to increasingly messy political infighting.

Morales is also facing allegations that he had relationships with minors. He was formally summoned by regional prosecutors to testify in the case but did not appear, and now faces an arrest warrant. Morales has denied the&nbsp;accusations.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

Bolivia's former leader Evo Morales said on Sunday his vehicle was hit by gunfire captured in a video, reflecting how political tensions between him and the Andean nation's current president Luis Arce have turned violent.

Bolivia's former leader Evo Morales said on Sunday his vehicle was hit by gunfire captured in a video, reflecting how political tensions between him and the Andean nation's current president Luis Arce have turned violent. Arce in comments on social media called for an "immediate and thorough investigation" of the incident and condemned any use of violence in politics. Morales posted a video on Facebook taken on Sunday morning from inside a moving car, showing him sitting in the front passenger seat and at least two bullet holes in the windshield. A statement from a Morales-aligned bloc of the socialist MAS political party, itself split in half with loyalties divided between Morales and Arce, said that his convoy was ambushed near a military barracks by two vehicles with heavily armed men dressed in black. Video shared with Reuters showed a frantic chase, during which Morales switched cars and his driver was injured. Reuters could not independently verify the contents of the video or the claims made by Morales and his allies. The incident occurred at a time when Bolivia already has been gripped by tensions. Morales supporters have blocked key highways for two weeks, impeding delivery of food and fuel around the country, and clashed with security forces trying to clear the obstacles. Arce's government on Saturday accused Morales of "destabilizing" the country and trying to "interrupt democratic order." In a radio interview after the incident, Morales said two vehicles intercepted him on the road and fired upon his car, saying a bullet passed "centimeters" from his head. The MAS statement said that a bullet hit the arm of the second vehicle's driver and another grazed his head. "I don't know if they were soldiers or police," Morales said on the radio. Bolivia's Deputy Security Minister Roberto Rios told journalists that police had not carried out any operation against Morales. "As authorities in charge of state security, we are obliged to investigate any report, whether it is true or false," Rios said. Morales, who served three terms as president, resigned in 2019 after a disputed election plunged the country into turmoil. Arce, his former economy minister, was elected the following year. Arce is expected to run for reelection in the 2025 Bolivian election. Morales also has said he wants to be a candidate in next year. The statement from the Morales-aligned MAS faction accused Arce and two government ministers of orchestrating the attack. "This is not an isolated incident. It is clear evidence that we are facing a fascist government that does not hesitate to attack the life of former President Evo Morales," the statement said, claiming also that the assailants were seen entering the military barracks and subsequently boarding a helicopter waiting on the airstrip. The country is also grappling with dwindling natural gas production, drained foreign currency reserves and rising inflation, which is increasing pressure on the ruling party and leading to increasingly messy political infighting. Morales is also facing allegations that he had relationships with minors. He was formally summoned by regional prosecutors to testify in the case but did not appear, and now faces an arrest warrant. Morales has denied the accusations. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Bolivia former president Morales says his vehicle was hit by gunfire

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Bolivian government ridicules Morales' assassination plot claims as 'theatre'

Bolivia former president Morales says his vehicle was hit by gunfire