At least 17 people were injured Tuesday in southern Bolivia as tensions escalated between supporters of former president Evo Morales and local groups attempting to dismantle road blockades. The protests follow the electoral authority’s controversial decision to disqualify Morales from running in the upcoming August 17 presidential election, a move widely criticized by his supporters as politically motivated.

Morales loyalists began organizing blockades on June 2, demanding his reinstatement and denouncing what they see as an erosion of democratic norms. While initially focused on electoral rights, the protests have grown into a broader indictment of President Luis Arce’s economic mismanagement, amid a worsening crisis marked by fuel shortages and dwindling foreign currency reserves.

Sticks and stones

In the mining town of Llallagua, located in Potosi, violence erupted between Morales supporters and residents trying to clear the roads. Police spokesperson Cesar Limbert Choque confirmed that two officers were injured by “stones, sticks, and other projectiles,” along with 15 civilians. Authorities said security forces will be sent to the region to restore calm.

Bolivia’s national roads authority reported 29 active blockades across the country on Tuesday, a sign of the growing scale and intensity of discontent.

Protesters demand justice, economic relief

Beyond the electoral controversy, protesters are expressing deep frustration with the government’s handling of the economy. Soaring prices, fuel lines, and restricted access to hard currency have led to rising hardship, particularly in regions that have long supported Morales and his political movement.

Although constitutionally barred from a fourth presidential term, the 65-year-old Morales attempted to register his candidacy last month. The Constitutional Court swiftly rejected his bid, prompting accusations of judicial bias and political exclusion from grassroots movements and allied organizations.

Dissent criminalized

Government officials have accused Morales of using the blockades to stir unrest. “He is trying to sabotage the election by calling for blockades to sow chaos,” a government spokesperson claimed. On Monday, the attorney general announced that Morales is being investigated for “terrorism”, a move critics see as part of a broader campaign to criminalize dissent and sideline political opponents.

Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, has remained in self-imposed isolation in Chapare since October, amid ongoing attempts by authorities to arrest him on charges his supporters view as politically fabricated.

With the presidential election approaching, Bolivia is witnessing growing public frustration, economic instability, and widespread disillusionment. The unrest underscores not only a rejection of Morales’ disqualification but a deeper legitimacy crisis facing President Arce’s administration and the country’s political establishment as a whole.

Read more: 'Israel' calling Silva 'persona no grata' is a privilege: Morales