La Paz, (EFE).- The Bolivian police force paid final tributes on Saturday to officers killed during roadblock protests led by ers of former Bolivian President Evo Morales (2006-2019), vowing to identify and bring those responsible to justice.
“We will spare no effort to identify, arrest, and present to the authorities those cowards who took the lives of our comrades,” said National Police Commander Augusto Russo during a memorial ceremony at the National Police Academy (Anapol) in La Paz.
Russo described the perpetrators as “cowards and murderers,” asserting that the institution has the necessary resources to locate those behind officers’ deaths.
Honor ceremony for officers killed in unrest
The tribute honored Second Lieutenant Christian Calle, 22, and firefighter Sergeant Jesús Mamani, both of whom received posthumous promotions.
The ceremony began with a mass beside their caskets, followed by a formal act of recognition where police leaders presented medals, service caps, and the national flag to grieving family .
As the tribute concluded, younger officers formed a corridor and waved white handkerchiefs in farewell as the funeral procession departed.
The previous day, officers Carlos Apata and Brayan Barroso were buried.
All four officers died during violent confrontations between security forces and protesters loyal to Morales in various regions of Bolivia.
Three officers were killed on Wednesday while trying to reach the town of Llallagua, where demonstrators had attacked residents attempting to clear blocked roads.
A fourth officer died in Cochabamba after reportedly being detained by protesters who allegedly detonated an explosive device attached to his body.
Roadblocks persist as political tensions rise
The protests involve widespread blockades of key routes connecting Bolivia’s western and eastern regions.
Demonstrators are demanding action on economic issues, including fuel and currency shortages and rising inflation.
However, Bolivian President Luis Arce’s government claims the real objective of the protests is to pressure him to resign and force through the “unconstitutional” presidential candidacy of Evo Morales.
According to authorities, several highways have been cleared following coordinated interventions by police and the military after nearly two weeks of unrest.
Still, key blockades remain in the central department of Cochabamba, a stronghold of Morales and his union allies, through which many critical transport routes .
Morales defiant despite legal and political setbacks
Morales, who governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019 across three , has continued to push for another presidential run.
Yet the country’s Constitutional Court recently reaffirmed that re-election is only permitted once consecutively, barring him from seeking a fourth term.
Although he resigned from the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) party in late 2023 after nearly three decades, Morales remains at odds with Arce’s government over policy decisions, party control, and the 2025 presidential race.
The ongoing protests have deepened Bolivia’s political crisis, once again pitting factions of the ruling party against one another and reviving concerns over the country’s fragile democratic stability. EFE
grb/seo
