La Paz. Opponents of the Bolivian government sympathetic to former President Evo Morales took over the ‘Cacique Juan Maraza’ military regiment in the city of Villa Tunari, in the Central Department of Cochabamba, on Friday. Bolivian police and military forces in Cochabamba responded to the removal of road blockades by raiding military targets. According to media reports, the hostage situation occurred when Morales’ supporters began blocking roads to prevent the former president’s arrest. Morales claimed Bolivian authorities were making ‘false allegations of rape’ aimed at thwarting his political comeback.
People from the local communities detained the military and health workers present in the barracks. Also, pictures and videos of him armed with sticks went viral. Morales’ supporters have been blocking the road for almost three weeks and demanding guarantee of the former President’s candidacy. Morales wants to run in next year’s elections for a new presidency, while also demanding the criminal proceedings against him be dropped. 65-year-old Morales served as the President of the South American country from 2006 to 2019. He was declared the winner of the 2019 election. However, he was accused of election fraud and nationwide protests began against him, leading to his resignation after a few weeks.