Bolivia anti-government protests turn deadly as tensions rise
Police fire tear gas at supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales during clashes in the town of Vinto, Cochabamba, Bolivia, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales
Police officers stand guard as supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales and police clash in the town of Vinto, Cochabamba, Bolivia, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales
LA PAZ - Clashes between anti-government protestors and authorities in Bolivia have left at least four first responders dead, the country's justice minister said on Thursday.
Tensions have intensified in recent days as supporters of former President Evo Morales, who have strangled transportation by blocking highways across the Andean nation, skirmish with officials attempting to clear the roadblocks.
"There are already four officers who have lost their lives," Justice Minister Cesar Siles told reporters in La Paz, adding that some had been shot.
The deceased are three police officers and a firefighter, Bolivia's state news agency reported. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Radio Free Europe still hopes for Congress funds after U.S. financing halt
FILE PHOTO: Radio Free Europe logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo Radio Free Europe still hopes for Congress funds after U.S. financing halt PRAGUE - U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is seeking to build bi-partisan support in Congress to keep operating when approved financing ends later this year, its president Stephen Capus said. Started in 1950 to broadcast to communist-run countries during the Cold War, RFE/RL still reaches millions in eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as central Asia and the Middle East. However, it is caught in efforts to down-size government under U.S. President Donald Trump. The administration froze Congress-approved federal grants in March, leaving RFE/RL to fight in court for appropriated funds. RFE/RL received funds for May on Thursday after a court order, Capus said, and continues to seek over $50 million appropriated by Congress for its fiscal year ending September while seeking ways to fund operations ahead. "After September 30th, there is still a possibility of receiving funds from Congress," he told Reuters during the Globsec Forum in Prague on Thursday. "We've got very strong bipartisan support... We have confidence that can happen." The funding rows have forced the station to furlough about 350 staff, out of around 1,200, Capus said, and it has reduced some programming. It also let go "hundreds and hundreds" of freelancers and contractors, and some senior staff have left. The Czech Republic has searched for solutions with European Union partners and others to help RFE/RL. Last month, the EU said it would donate 5.5 million euros ($6.33 million). The station has so far not accepted outside funds and wants to see where talks and U.S. court decisions lead. Capus said some form of funding from U.S. and European sources might be an option, given Europe's rising focus on security, including in the information space. Nothing was on the table now, he said, but "it's an idea worth exploring." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Israel shuts global embassies after attack on Iran
An Israeli flag flutters at an embassy in Berlin. PHOTO: REUTERS LONDON – Israel is shutting its embassies around the world and has urged citizens to stay alert and not display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public places, statements posted on embassy websites said on June 13 after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran. The statements said Israel would not be providing consular services and urged citizens to cooperate with local security services if faced with hostile activity. No timeframe was given for how long the embassies would be closed. A person picking up the phone at the embassy in Berlin gave no further details. 'In light of recent developments, Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided,' the statement said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 13, said Germany was stepping up protection of Jewish and Israeli sites. Visible security was increased outside the Great Synagogue of Stockholm, with a police van and car parked near the building, a Reuters witness said. Israel said it attacked nuclear facilities and missile factories in Iran and killed a swathe of military commanders in what could be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran building an atomic weapon. US President Donald Trump suggested that Iran had brought the attack on itself by resisting US demands in talks to restrict its nuclear programme, and urged it to make a deal, 'with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal'. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Hamas says Iran 'paying the price' for supporting Gaza militants
Firefighters work at the scene of a damaged building in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS CAIRO - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said Iran, its strategic ally, was "paying the price" for supporting militant groups in Gaza in their decades-long struggle against Israel, after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Friday against Iran. Hamas leaders have repeatedly thanked Iran for its military and financial support to the group in its fight against Israel, including during the ongoing war that erupted in October 2023. "Iran is today paying the price for its steadfast positions in support of Palestine and its resistance, and its adherence to its independent national decision," Hamas said in a statement. Tehran has vowed retaliation for Israel's early morning attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities that killed several top commanders. Israel said it was working to intercept 100 drones that were launched by Iran, but had not reached Israel. Hamas armed wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida said in a post on Telegram later on Friday that the group would stand by Iran in its conflict against Israel. "The Zionist enemy is completely deluded if it thinks that these treacherous strikes can undermine the fronts of resistance or stabilize the pillars of this fragile entity in the region," he said. "On the contrary, it continues to make successive strategic mistakes that will bring it closer to its inevitable demise, God willing." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
