Government reiterates its "desire for dialogue"but refuses to touch Evo’s candidacy

This Saturday night, at a press conference and, in response to the letter calling for dialogue from the Ombudsman, the Minister of the Presidency, María Nela Prada, read a document in which she expresses the Government’s position. : “Once again we reiterate our desire for dialogue, on issues that concern the executive branch.” He also refused to touch on topics related to the possible candidacy of Evo Morales.

“We have called for dialogue on repeated occasions. Even on October 13, we publicly called for dialogue again, before the blockades began and the population was harmed. However, unfortunately, the response has always been conditioned to issues such as the candidacy of Evo Morales and the release of his judicial processestopics that do not correspond to us,” Prada explained.

And then he reiterated the Government’s willingness to dialogue, as well as to achieve the restoration of public order.

“One more time We reiterate our willingness to dialogue to address issues that concern the executive body and not to other organs of the State. Always thinking about Bolivia and taking into account as a fundamental premise, the widespread clamor of the Bolivian people for all blockades to be lifted in our country,” he indicated.

And he added: “We, as a national government, within the framework of our constitutional powers, We will continue working to restore public order and the return to normality, as well as the stability of the economy of Bolivian families seriously affected by these blockades.”

The letter notes that the road blockade, which has been going on for 20 dayshas violated different human rights of Boliviansas well as its negative impact on families, producers, transporters, merchants and businessmen in the country.

Furthermore, the document recalls the international complaints made by the Government about attacks “from irregular groups” to journalists and police.

“The right to protest, nowhere in the world, is translated into a carte blanche for attack the rights of the entire population, to affect the economy at the national level; nor to use firearms, dynamites and others that threaten life,” said the minister.

Search for “deaths and bloodshed”

Earlier, the Minister of Government, Eduardo Del Castillo, through his social networks blamed Morales for “deaths and bloodshed” that may arise.

“We denounce to the international community and the Bolivian people that unfortunately Mr. Morales has asked his followers this afternoon (11/2/2024) to They need more confrontations to get dead and bloodshed; given the evident collapse of the so-called ‘blockades of impunity’ as expressed by his former Minister of the Presidency, Juan Ramón Quintana a few days ago,” Del Castillo published.

Furthermore, he asked Bolivian people “not to fall for the provocations of these people who are capable of anything so that the girls who are victims of rape do not have justice.”

For its part, the Bolivian Police, through an official statement clarified that no police officers used firearms with lethal ammunition during the intervention operation at the Parotani blockade point (Cochabamba). In the document, the Police asked the population do not believe in “false information” that circulate on social networks about the supposed existence of deceased people.

The road blockade is 20 days old, this Saturday, November 2. Supporters of Morales carry out the measure in rejection of criminal proceedings against the coca grower and former president, who is accused of rape and human trafficking and smuggling. As the days go by, they also demand recognition of the internal MAS congress held in Lauca Ñ, which enables Morales as a presidential candidate in the 2025 elections.

Although Morales asked “his bases” on Friday for a fourth interim in the measure, the so-called “People’s General Staff” rejected this situation and called for “massify” the blockades. Meanwhile, Morales began a hunger strike, which this Saturday marks its first day and which, he stated: “it will be until the release of all our companions,” in reference to those detained during the unblocking operations in Parotani and Pirque.