Bolivia: Police Shoot Anti-Coup Protesters in El Alto

Bolivian Police on Monday harshly repressed the El Alto people who took to the streets to protest against the coup which forced the resignation of Evo Morales. Images uploaded on social media attest to the existence of several injured; however, there are no official figures on the number of victims.

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“The police repress with firearms to cause deaths and injuries in El Alto. My solidarity with those innocent victims, including a girl, and the El Alto's heroic people who is defending democracy,” former president Morales tweeted.​​​​​

Over the last week, far-right groups have staged acts of aggression against the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) authorities and politicians.

Selective burning of houses and beatings against Evo's supporters, however, have not been reported in a timely manner by international and local media.

In this regard, for example, in Argentina, where Mauricio Macri will remain in the presidency until December, the Press Workers Union (SiPREBA) on Monday denounced that the National Radio direction prohibited its journalists from writing or speaking about the existence of a coup in Bolivia.

@CuadernosGE #Urgente los militares están en las calles. Esta es la reacción de la población alteña que vive ahora el #GolpeDeEstadoEnBolivia #NoAlGolpeEnBolivia

"Urgent. The Army is in the streets. This is the reaction of El Alto people who is living the coup d'etat in Boliva."

Nevertheless, according to social net videos posted on Monday, it is known that at least six citizens were shot, around 30 people were injured and a girl was rescued by anti-coup protesters in El Alto.

Indigenous leaders and social activists denounced that the Police have joined the coup, which is being supported by former commander Yuri Calderon who publicly threatened to arrest MAS supporters.

“The first thing we should do is organize groups in all cities. We are going to stop all the leaders who are causing anxiety,” Calderón said at the time of submitting his resignation on Sunday, when he “suggested” Evo Morales to leave the presidency.

"Terror in Bolivia. Last night artillery helicopters shot at the indigenous people in La Paz. El Alto communities reported 6 dead and around 30 injured. This is silenced by mainstream media."

Morales’s Defense Minister Javier Zavaleta on Monday presented his resignation and denounced violent actions that the mutinous security forces are carrying out.

"Bullets are neither the answer nor the solution to a problem," Zavaleta said and explained that he never ordered the use of military force against the population.

"We never gave an order for our soldiers to wield a weapon against the people... The State we built was a State in which the military defends the Homeland with the people and never against them."

"A political issue is not resolved by increasing the caliber of repression," said Zavaleta addressing one of the leaders of the Bolivian right, former presidential candidate Carlos Mesa.

On Monday night, Mexico’s President Manuel Andres Lopez Obrador (AMLO) sent a plane to pick Morales, who had been granted political asylum a few hours earlier.

The MAS leader arrived safely to Mexico on Tuesday at 8:30 am (local time).​​​​​​​