A video shared on social media on Sunday suggests that Evo Morales, former president of Bolivia, survived a possible assassination attempt. Although the politician was unharmed, his driver sustained injuries in the alleged attack.
A four-minute video, reportedly filmed from within Morales’ car, shows the former leader seated in the passenger seat, talking on the phone next to his driver. Moments later, the footage reveals bullet holes puncturing the front windscreen, while the driver, apparently bleeding from the head, continues to maneuver the vehicle. The rear windshield also appears heavily damaged from gunfire.
Denunciamos que el grupo paramilitar denominado Resistencia Juvenil Kochala, financiado y articulado por Manfred Reyes Villa, atacó al compañero abogado y exdefensor del Pueblo Nelson Cox. El fascismo está retornando al país de la mano del gobierno de Luis Arce. Nuestra… pic.twitter.com/YE9UWRkYnb
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) October 26, 2024
Morales himself claimed that the car endured approximately 14 gunshots. In a caption accompanying the video, he stated that he was beginning his routine Sunday morning drive when two vehicles intercepted his own in Shinahota, a central Bolivian town. The post alleges that “four hooded individuals dressed in black” exited the vehicles and opened fire on Morales’ car.
Shortly after the incident, a second video was uploaded to Morales’ Facebook page, showing him delivering a public address via microphone, seemingly uninjured and composed. Bolivian officials have yet to release any statement regarding the incident or the individuals potentially involved.
Evo Morales held the Bolivian presidency from 2006 to 2019, serving three consecutive terms. His leadership came to an abrupt halt in 2019 after a contentious election led to a political shift. Following mass protests and escalating tensions, he was ultimately forced from office in what he described as a coup. Senator Jeanine Añez subsequently took power, heading a government accused of severe repression during its short tenure. Añez is currently serving a prison sentence for crimes committed during this period, particularly concerning the violent suppression of protesters in the wake of Morales’ removal.
Bolivia has since moved forward under the leadership of President Luis Arce, who took office in 2020. Arce, initially seen as a close ally of Morales, has since diverged in opinions with the former president, particularly on issues surrounding the direction of their shared political party, the Movement for Socialism. Despite their differences, Morales voiced opposition to a reported coup attempt against Arce in June.
The recent attack is not the first time Morales has faced threats on his life. During his first term in office in 2009, Bolivian media reported that security forces dismantled a “terrorist group” allegedly plotting to assassinate both Morales and his vice president. This group, reportedly comprising individuals of Romanian, Hungarian, Irish, Bolivian, and Colombian nationalities, saw three members killed and two others arrested in the ensuing security operation.
