Bolivia government says ex-President Morales fired upon anti-narcotics patrol

la paz, bolivia — 

Bolivia's authorities connected Monday denied accusations that it had led a targeted onslaught connected ex-President Evo Morales, whose car was changeable astatine connected Sunday, claiming the erstwhile leader's convoy had fired connected peculiar anti-narcotics constabulary who were carrying retired a patrol.

Morales claims that the authorities had attempted to assassinate him erstwhile bullets struck his car successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday, marking a caller section of tensions successful the Andean federation betwixt Morales and erstwhile state President Luis Arce.

Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo said during a property league that the FELCN anti-drug trafficking portion were carrying retired a modular road patrol erstwhile Morales' convoy changeable astatine constabulary and ran implicit an officer.

Morales had said successful a vigor interrogation connected Sunday that helium had so changeable backmost astatine constabulary aft they opened fire.

Morales' vehicles were suspected of transporting drugs, according to the government.

Morales, meanwhile, called the allegations that authorities were carrying retired an anti-drug trafficking cognition false.

"If that were the case, wherefore did your elite subject and constabulary squad sprout much than 18 times astatine the vehicles I was traveling in?" helium wrote connected X.

Del Castillo added that Morales had instructed his vehicles to beryllium burned aft the run-in, destroying immoderate grounds earlier it could beryllium collected.

"If helium had truly been unfortunate of an assassination attempt, it would person been successful his involvement to permission them intact" truthful that investigators could hunt them to cod evidence, del Castillo said.