The political situation is explosive in Bolivia. While the country has been shaken by anti-government demonstrations for around twenty days, supporters of former president Evo Morales are holding at least 200 soldiers hostage, after the assault on three barracks.
On Friday, “three military units were attacked by irregular groups in the Chapare area, in the department of Cochabamba, who took more than 200 military personnel hostage,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to the community international. They also “seized weapons of war and ammunition,” added the ministry.
Evo Morales wants to regain power
In the same region, the Bolivian government sent the army to help the police clear the roads blocked by supporters of Evo Morales, who denounce a “political persecution” of their leader, whose ambition is to return to power .
In a video, a soldier taken hostage claims to be detained by “Tipnis groups”. These are known as the indigenous territories of Chapare, where Evo Morales, a former coca farmer and the first indigenous person to govern Bolivia (2006-2019), has his strongest political base.
The former president, for his part, announced on Friday that he would begin a hunger strike to demand a dialogue with the government of President Luis Arce so that it “installs […] political and economic discussion committees. The former president assured that his hunger strike would continue “until the release of all (his) comrades” arrested by the police. According to the authorities, 66 people were apprehended on Friday, in addition to around fifty others since the unrest began on October 14.
The standoff between Morales and Arce
Supporters of the ex-president have been blocking around twenty roads in central Bolivia since the start of the movement, supporting their leader who was prevented from running in the 2025 presidential election by a court decision disqualifying him. Evo Morales, 65, is under criminal investigation over accusations of raping a 15-year-old girl while he was head of the country, which he denies. The protests have spread and demonstrators are also demanding the resignation of President Luis Arce, whom they accuse of being responsible for the fuel shortages Bolivia is experiencing due to lack of foreign currency to buy it.
Former ally of Evo Morales, Luis Arce came to power in November 2020. The two men are competing for control of the left and the nomination for the next presidential election.
