Evo Morales said shots were fired at his car during the assassination attempt

Both men belong to the ruling Mas party. But they fell out and their relationship became even more bitter after both announced their intention to run as the Mas party’s candidate in the 2025 presidential election.

Morales said the attack was a “joint operation between the military and police.” He added that the bullet missed him by “centimeters” and that the driver of the car was injured.

Morales said the attack took place near the Bolivian army’s ninth division base near Villa Tunari in the center of the country.

The pro-Morales faction of Mas’s party said the men behind the attack entered military barracks and were then evacuated by a military helicopter.

“This is not an isolated event, this is clear evidence that we are faced with a fascist government,” the faction said in a statement.

Morales, who was president from 2006 to 2019, faces legal challenges including investigations into alleged rape and human trafficking, which he denies.

For weeks, his supporters have blocked key roads across the country and clashed with police.

Morales claims the charges are part of a right-wing vendetta against him by the interim president who replaced him in office after he resigned in 2019 following allegations of voter fraud.

Both he and Arce have loyal groups of supporters willing to take to the streets, and in some cases engage in street fights, to show their support for their candidate.