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Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma has accused the United States of ordering his government to carry out a military operation aimed at capturing or killing him, sparking an escalation of tensions between the two countries.
In a statement on social media platform X, Morales, who has been a vocal critic of US foreign policy, alleged that the US government has been secretly backing his opponents in Bolivia and has provided financial and military support to a faction of the Bolivian military seeking to overthrow him.
According to Morales, the operation is being led by a group of individuals with ties to the US, including former Minister of Government Carlos Sánchez Berzaín, who fled the country in 2003 following the Black October Massacre, and Vice Minister of Social Defense Ernesto Justiniano, who is currently in Washington.
The Bolivian president also accused the government of his counterpart, Rodrigo Paz, of waging a smear campaign against him, with the support of foreign experts in disinformation and dirty war tactics. Morales cited Fernando Cerimedo, an Argentine journalist and consultant to right-wing politicians, who has been sent to Bolivia by Argentine President Javier Milei to advise on anti-Morales propaganda efforts.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Bolivian military have revealed that a number of units have been deployed to the Tropics region, a stronghold of support for Morales, ahead of a potential operation.
Among those units is the Ninth Army Division, led by Colonel Franz Andrade Loza, who is believed to be in line for promotion to general if he succeeds in capturing or killing Morales. Other units deployed to the Tropics include the F-10, CITE, CIE 298, and Ingavi VII Sajama Battalion, all of which have been accused of human rights abuses in the past.
Morales further alleged that the Bolivian military will come under the command of US Marines and Paraguayan DEA agents, who have been accused of engaging in extrajudicial killings in the region.
The US Department of State has yet to comment on Morales’ allegations, but diplomats sources claim that Washington has been growing increasingly concerned about Bolivia’s democratic institutions and has been providing support to anti-Morales factions in the country.
Meanwhile, the Bolivian government has denied any involvement in a plot to capture or kill Morales, and has instead accused him of making baseless and inflammatory accusations against the government.
As the situation continues to unfold, Bolivia remains in a state of heightened tension, with both sides trading accusations and counter-accusations.