The six federations of the Tropic of Cochabamba set up vigils to protect the former president and warned that they will not guarantee the safety of police and military personnel who enter the region to arrest him
Coca-growing sectors aligned with former president Evo Morales have reinforced surveillance in the Tropic of Cochabamba, where they are protecting the ex-dictator, and issued a strong warning against the Police and Armed Forces of Bolivia. This measure comes in light of the possibility that the Government may carry out an operation to enter the region and arrest Morales.
The six coca federations of the Tropic approved a series of resolutions during a union meeting held this Sunday. Among them, they established that if military or police forces enter the area with the intention of attacking Morales or intervening in the vigil set up in Lauca Ñ, the leaders will not guarantee the safety of the agents.
The bastion of Evo Morales in Cochabamba
Tension increased after Evo Morales reported a supposed plan to attempt against his life. The ex-dictator claimed he received information from military and police officers who, he said, warned about a new operation in the Tropic of Cochabamba. Morales preemptively blamed President Rodrigo Paz and his Defense Minister, Ernesto Justiniano, in case he suffered any attack.
The ex-dictator has been in the Tropic for almost two years, and his supporters maintain a surveillance structure there aimed at preventing his arrest. The Bolivian Justice system has an arrest warrant against Morales related to an investigation for alleged human trafficking, while the Government has expressed its intention to enforce the judicial order.
The Evoist leaders argue that any attempt to arrest him could trigger a response from the coca-growing organizations. Vicente Choque, one of the leaders from the Tropic, stated that any police or military personnel who enter the area to arrest Morales “will not come out of there,” according to statements released this Monday.
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The situation raises concerns about the possibility of a new confrontation between the former president's supporters and state forces. In the past, mobilizations from Evoist sectors have already led to road blockades and confrontations with police and military, increasing political and social tension in various regions of the country.
For now, the Government has not reported any specific operation to arrest Morales. However, the establishment of new vigils and the threats directed at security forces highlight the growing level of tension in the Tropic of Cochabamba, where the former president's supporters seek to prevent the authorities from executing the arrest warrant.
