Rival protesters clash in Bolivia as ex-President Evo Morales leads a march to the capital

Bolivia’s pro-government supporters and security forces have confronted protesters loyal to former President Evo Morales in a street melee

ByJUAN KARITA Associated Press and CARLOS VALDEZ Associated Press
September 22, 2024, 7:32 PM

EL ALTO, Bolivia -- Bolivia's pro-government supporters and security forces confronted protesters loyal to former president Evo Morales in a street melee Sunday, the second such violent escalation this week as fears grew of further unrest in the Andean nation.

The protesters and counterprotesters hurled firecrackers, homemade explosives and stones at each other across a dusty sprawl in the city of El Alto, while riot police unleashed tear gas into the crowds. At least eight people were injured, Bolivia's health ministry reported.

The standoff — erupting while thousands of Bolivians supporting Morales continued a weeklong 190-kilometer (118-mile) march to the capital of La Paz — spoke to the depth of the schism in Bolivian politics ahead of next year's presidential election.

Morales and his former economy minister-turned-bitter-rival, current President Luis Arce, are vying to lead Bolivia's long-dominant socialist party, known by its Spanish acronym MAS, into the 2025 vote. In recent months their power struggle has paralyzed the government, exacerbated the depletion of Bolivia's foreign-exchange reserves and fueled street protests.

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