By Bolivian President Luis Arce on Friday condemned the seizure of three military units by supporters of former President Evo Morales, calling it “an absolutely reprehensible criminal act that is far from any legitimate social claim of the Indigenous peasant movement.”
In a message on the social media platform X, Arce wrote that “the taking of a military unit is a crime of treason against the homeland and an affront to the country’s Constitution.” The Bolivian Armed Forces said “irregular armed groups” had kidnapped military personnel and taken control of the facilities in the center of the country.
The warning came after videos circulated on social media with statements from a military leader who is believed to be detained, confirming the “peaceful” takeover of a regiment in the coca-growing area of Chapare. Authorities have neither confirmed nor denied that he is a member of the Army.
The conflict broke out three weeks ago when Bolivian prosecutors launched an investigation into accusations that Morales fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl in 2016. Since then, Morales has been holed up in the Chapare region, where loyalist coca growers have kept watch to prevent his arrest.
The most critical situation is taking place in the coca-growing region, a political bastion and refuge of Morales, where his followers have surrounded and threatened to take over police and military barracks, demanding the closure of the judicial cases against the former president.
President Arce has avoided sending out soldiers en masse to clear the roads, with opponents accusing the government of showing weakness in dealing with the conflict in the midst of an economic crisis. Morales, a former coca grower, has retained significant support among poor and Indigenous Bolivians despite his resignation in 2019.
The seizure of military facilities by Morales’ supporters represents a dangerous escalation of the political tensions in Bolivia. Arce’s strong condemnation and the Armed Forces’ warning highlight the government’s determination to maintain control and constitutional order amid the ongoing protests.
