Nine days after the resignation of former Bolivian president Evo Morales, Bolivia remains plagued by social and political turmoil. After at least six people were killed on Tuesday, the official death toll rose to 30 people in the past month. The six people were killed on Tuesday as the military escorted fuel tankers from a gasoline plant in El Alto after supporters of Morales had blockaded the plant for almost a week to inflict fuel and food shortages in La Paz. A New York Times reporter claims to have witnessed the bodies of five young men with gunshot wounds after being shot at by a military unit. Hundreds gathered to mourn the passing of the men, who had reportedly been walking to work when they were fatally shot. Bolivia’s interim defense minister denied that the military had shot bullets outside of the plant.
Morales’s supporters have been clashing with the military for weeks after he resigned in what he called a coup, as his opponents now control the executive branch under Jeanine Áñez. As violence continues to escalate, Áñez announced that she had drafted a basic bill to begin elections in Bolivia. Many Bolivians disagree with the rule of Áñez as interim president, claiming she has not remained a neutral figure in guiding the country towards elections and has rather expelled hundreds of Cuban doctors and cut ties with Venezuela. Morales is exerting his influence from exile in Mexico City, tweeting frequently to criticize Áñez and other opposition leaders.
Read More: At Least 6 Killed As Political Turmoil Continues In Bolivia
