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EPA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nBolivia’s government has rejected claims by the former president, Evo Morales, that it ordered a targeted attack on him. <\/p>\n
Morales says his car came under sustained gunfire on Sunday night in the Cochabamba region, in what he condemned as an attempt on his life. <\/p>\n
But Bolivia’s Interior Minister, Eduardo del Castillo, said the former president’s convoy had fled an anti-drugs patrol, during which his security team fired at police and ran over an officer. <\/p>\n
Evo Morales is involved in a power struggle with President Luis Arce over who should be the Movement for Socialism (Mas) party’s candidate in next year’s election.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
On Sunday, Morales posted a video to social media which appeared to show at least two bullet holes in the windscreen of a car in the front seat of which he was sitting.<\/p>\n
In a statement, a pro-Morales faction of the Mas party said men in black had fired on the vehicle when it passed by a military barracks. The faction said it held President Arce’s government responsible.<\/p>\n
But on Monday, del Castillo told a news conference an anti-drug trafficking unit was on a standard highway patrol when Morales’ convoy shot at police and ran over an officer.<\/p>\n
“Mr Morales, nobody believes the theatre you have staged,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Morales has disputed this account, saying in a post on X that he had been shot at “more than 18 times”. He had shot back after the police opened fire, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Morales, who was president from 2006 to 2019, is facing legal issues including investigations for alleged statutory rape and human trafficking, which he denies.<\/p>\n
For weeks, his supporters have blocked key roads around the country and clashed with police.<\/p>\n
Morales argues the accusations are part of a right-wing vendetta against him by the interim president who replaced him in office after his resignation in 2019 following allegations of vote-rigging.<\/p>\n
Both he and Arce have groups of loyal supporters willing to take to the streets – and in some cases engage in street brawls – to show their backing for their candidate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n