The Government of Bolivia denounces that armed groups supposedly related to Evo Morales took over military installations in Cochabamba

() – The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, denounced this Friday that armed groups supposedly related to former President Evo Morales took over three military installations in the department of Cochabamba, “kidnapping” their personnel, weapons and ammunition.

The Army was the first to report these events, blaming “irregular armed groups” in a statement on social networks—without giving more details. He also called on them “to abandon their attitudes and leave the barracks immediately and peacefully.”

Later, Arce pointed directly to supporters of Morales, his political rival within the ruling Movement towards Socialism. On his social networks, Arce said that there were three military units taken and that this “anywhere in the world is a crime of treason against the Homeland.” In addition, the president again criticized the road blockades carried out by Morales supporters.

has reached out to Morales’ press team for comment and is awaiting a response.

The events occur in the midst of the blockades that Morales supporters have been carrying out in various parts of Bolivia for almost three weeks, demanding judicial investigations against the former president.

Morales is investigated by the Tarija Prosecutor’s Office for an alleged case of human trafficking and smuggling. The former president denies having committed any crime and says he is the target of political persecution by President Luis Arce, with the supposed objective of not allowing him to run in the 2025 elections. In turn, Arce rejects these allegations.

The blockades have already led to some clashes between protesters and authorities. Some occurred this week in the town of Mairana, in the department of Santa Cruz, where 13 police officers were injured and 14 people were detained, according to the Ministry of Government on Tuesday.

The newspaper Los Tiempos, of Cochabamba, reports that on Thursday the coca growers of the Six Federations of the Tropics took over the facilities of the Mobile Rural Patrol Unit of the Police and the barracks of the Ninth Division of the Army.

The political secretary of that coca farmers union, Vicente Choque, confirmed to the newspaper that the barracks were taken, and said that it was with the objective of preventing the intervention of the protest blocking points. He also indicated that they had activated a “self-defense committee” to prevent “them from killing our brothers.”