Montero election clashes
e3906 Montero election clashes, October 2019: During the protests against Evo Morales’ claimed election victory, conflict brewed in Montero around the largely pro-MAS neighborhood of Cofadena. In an October 24 cabildo, Cofadena residents had demanded the city pull out of the opposition blockades. Civic movement protesters responded with an overnight march threatening “collas” (highland Indigenous people) with death and attacks on six homes. Cofadena residents barricaded themselves in and kept round-the-clock vigils. On October 30, urban MAS supporters attempted to take a bridge west of the city but found themselves surrounded. Gunfire broke out. Eleven people were wounded at the bridge, at least four of them MAS supporters hit with live ammunition. As many as four hundred affiliates of the Santa Cruz Civic Committee arrived from the capital and new confrontations began after nightfall. Pro-MAS gunmen shot dead two of these civic movement protesters (Los Tiempos 2019; Romero 2019). In the following days, police investigated and indicted seven people, including a MAS youth leader and a legislative deputy, for their deaths. No progress was made in finding the shooters at the bridge (GIEI Bolivia 2021, 34–52, 387–89). Significantly, there was further violence on November 13, following Morales’ ouster. Dueling protesters gathered that day with opponents of Evo Morales demanding the resignation of Mayor Mario Baptista, for allegedly facilitating the violence of October 30. Pro-MAS demonstrators gathered outside the Germán Moreno market and reportedly threatened to loot businesses of their political opponents. Police and the army intervened around 2:00pm in response to unrest, vandalism, and explosive discharges at the market. They unleashed tear gas on the pro- MAS demonstrators, who threw stones at them. Minutes later, they began shooting towards the demonstrators, killing Roberth Ariel Calizaya Soto Baptista, and wounding Freddy Riquelme Flores as he came to Calizaya’s aid. Calizaya was shot at 2:22 or 2:23pm and was pronounced dead after his 2:30pm arrival at the San Miguel Clinic. Video and testimonial evidence evaluated by the GIEI demonstrates that security forces were firing at the time of death. Investigative activity did not identify who shot Calizaya and the judicial investigation largely lapsed, and was criticized by the GIEI (La Prensa 2019; El Deber 2019; GIEI Bolivia 2021, 186–91; “Joven de Yacuiba fallece por impacto de bala tras los enfrentamientos registrados en Montero” 2019).