Bolivian former president Evo Morales, leader of a march that began a week ago and reached its final destination, the capital La Paz, on Monday, sent an ultimatum to the current president, Luis Arce, demanding that he announce changes in his government within 24 hours “if he wants to continue to rule.”

“If Lucho (a.k.a. Luis Arce) wants to continue to govern, he must first of all, within 24 hours, change his drug-trafficking ministers, the corrupt ministers, the drug-addicted ministers, the racist ministers,” he threw , without mentioning any member of the government by name.

The former president (2006-2019) put himself in charge of the “March for the salvation of Bolivia”, which traveled 190 kilometers, from the highlands to the capital, and aims to highlight the protest of a large part of the citizens against the economic difficulties, the lack of fuel and US dollars in the Latin American country.

“Why did we take this course? To say (…) enough of treason, above all enough of corruption, enough with the protection of drug trafficking, enough with mismanagement,” continued Mr. Morales in front of thousands of his supporters who had gathered at the entrance of La Paz.

From the beginning, President Arce characterized the course as a “coup attempt”.

Evo Morales also said that the government must solve the problem of the lack of fuel “within 24 hours”, otherwise “mobilizations will continue”.

Last Sunday, in his televised speech, President Arce said that he “will not allow” a “civil war” to break out in his country, after the incidents between his supporters and supporters of Mr. Morales since the beginning of the march, in which they were injured 34 people.

Evo Morales is leading the biggest protests ever against the government he helped elect and whose term ends in November 2025.

Luis Arce was Evo Morales’ economy minister during the 13 years the latter was head of state. But the two are now rivals in the (as yet informal) race for the anointing of the ruling party, ahead of the 2025 presidential election. Mr Morales is contesting even though the judiciary has barred him from running again. He is trying, with the support of his party’s tendency, to achieve the revocation of the court’s decision.