MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Evo goes on hunger strike, calls for end to road blockades to seek dialogue

Morales called for friendly international help to make Arce (L) understand.....

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales announced Friday that he would go on a hunger strike as the conflict between him and his former Minister of Economy and ally, and current president, Luis Arce Catacora, continues to escalate.

He also urged his followers to lift the road blockades that have so far caused around US$ 1.7 billion in losses, representing more than 3.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in addition to food and medicine shortages to several communities in the Cochabamba region.

The Socialist Indigenous leader said in a statement published on social media that he had decided to “ask the mobilized comrades” to consider lifting “the road blockade” after 19 days to avoid “bloodshed.”

With his new initiative, Morales seeks to create a channel of dialogue with Arce with international mediation to be allowed to run in the 2025 presidential elections in addition to the cessation of all the judiciary cases against him for rape and human trafficking.

”And I have decided, in order to make the dialogue viable, (that) I am going to start a hunger strike until the Government installs two dialogue tables, first for the economic issue and second for the political issue,“ Morales wrote while calling for ”the participation of some international organizations or friendly countries“ because the current administration ”does not want to understand legal or technical issues.“

Morales said that “the government has to withdraw all this repression, this military and police mobilization” and insisted that “if there is any bloodshed, it will be the sole responsibility of President” Arce. During his hunger strike, the former president plans to remain at the headquarters of the Six Federations of the Tropic of Cochabamba, Bolivia's main coca growers' union that he once led.

Law enforcement troops fired teargas against the demonstrators Friday in a move to pierce through the blockades and allow for the normal circulation of people and goods. The rebels responded with dynamite and stones, while other Evist groups took over three military barracks in the Tropic of Cochabamba in retaliation.

Arce claimed that this ”assault“ was carried out by ”armed groups related to Evo Morales“ whom he also accused of holding ”military personnel and their families hostage and threatening their lives.“

”These actions economically strangle the Bolivian people, seeking the rupture of the legally constituted public order and of our democracy, with the sole objective of shortening our mandate, imposing an unconstitutional candidacy, and achieving impunity in judicial processes,” Arce went on.

According to local media, three military units were taken over by Morales' followers: the Cacique Juan Maraza regiment, in Villa Tunari; the facilities of the Ninth Division, and Puerto Villarroel Naval Base. In addition, the evistas were reported to be holding hostage the troops inside the bases and their families while also seizing weapons and ammunition while chanting for Arce's resignation.

Arce and Morales have been estranged since 2021 due to differences that deepened over the need to renew the national leadership of the Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS) and choose the ruling party's candidate for the 2025 elections. Bolivia has been experiencing growing social unrest since the central bank almost ran out of foreign exchange reserves last year. This left importers without dollars, which in turn led to shortages of basic goods and rising inflation.

The conflict peaked last Sunday when the government accused Morales of shooting at police after refusing to stop at a checkpoint, while the former president claimed it was an attempt to assassinate him.