An armed group in Bolivia takes over the military post and takes soldiers as hostages

An armed group has taken over a military post near the Bolivian city of Cochabamba and is holding soldiers hostage, the Bolivian army reports.

These are said to be supporters of former Bolivian president Evo Morales, a former coca farmer and Bolivia’s first indigenous president. Anonymous military sources told AFP news agency that at least twenty soldiers are being held.

Images from a local broadcaster show some soldiers with their hands tied behind their backs. They are surrounded by armed men. “They have turned off the water and electricity and are holding us hostage,” said a man in uniform.

According to the Bolivian army, the group also seized guns and ammunition. “That amounts to treason,” the statement said.

The situation in the South American country has been tense for months due to a political struggle for power within the socialist party MAS, which includes both Morales and the President current Luis Arce.

Morales’ supporters have been blocking highways for weeks, blocking the flow of food and fuel to major cities. It would have cost the country more than 1.5 billion euros.

When the police tried to lift the barricade of a main road near Cochabamba, it caused a fierce conflict. Protesters reportedly threw explosives at the police. Police responded with tear gas. Military sources see the seizure of military mail as a response to that conflict, writes the AFP news agency.

Morales, who served three terms as president, resigned in 2019 after a disputed election in which he was accused of electoral fraud. Several dozen people were killed in the ensuing riot. The violence did not end when Morales fled abroad.

In new elections a year later, Arce, a former friend, became president. The victory allowed Morales to return to his homeland. The battle within the ranks of MAS is now about which of the two will lead the party in next year’s elections.

this monday Former President Morales said he escaped an assassination attempt. He posted a video on Facebook allegedly showing heavily armed men chasing him in his car. The car was riddled with bullet holes. According to Morales, the perpetrators were elite agents sent in by the current government.