This archive report was first published on 9 November 2019.
Published on November 9, 2019, a tumultuous day in Bolivia saw dozens of police officers join demonstrators in the capital, La Paz, in a show of defiance against President Morales.
As the country grappled with deadly violence and opposition claims of election rigging, police units in several cities, including Sucre and Santa Cruz, announced their support for the rebellion launched by officers in Cochabamba.
"We cannot continue with this narco-government, with this unjust democracy," a uniformed officer in Sucre told local TV, his face covered.
Meanwhile, hundreds of opposition supporters gathered outside police stations in La Paz and Trinidad, urging the officers to reject Morales' government.
The crisis has claimed three lives since the disputed October 20 election, with a 20-year-old student dying in clashes between pro- and anti-government demonstrators in Cochabamba.
Opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho thanked the defecting police, saying, "I cried with joy. Our police are so great. Thanks for siding with the people. May God bless you."
