Police officer injured by homemade explosive during road-clearance operation in Cochabamba
A police officer was wounded in the face by shrapnel from a homemade explosive device in the Llavini locality, Cochabamba, whilst participating in road-clearance operations.
Police officer injured by homemade explosive during road-clearance operation in Cochabamba
A Bolivian Police officer sustained facial injuries following the detonation of a makeshift explosive device in the Llavini area of Cochabamba department, according to El Deber. The incident occurred on Monday, during road-clearance operations being carried out by law enforcement.
The presidential spokesman, José Luis Gálvez, identified the officer as Gianmarco Ticona. According to the official account, the device—described as a homemade contraption loaded with shrapnel—was detonated by people maintaining the blockade. The projectile struck a tree first, and the scattered fragments caused facial injuries to the officer.
Gálvez characterised the attack as a display of violence by demonstrators who remained blocking the roads. During the same operations, security personnel deactivated other explosives placed in the vicinity of various routes.
Despite these incidents, the Government stated that the situation was returning to normal. The number of active blockade points dropped from more than 50 to six, mostly concentrated in Cochabamba. However, two main routes—the one leading to Chapare and the one to Copacabana—remained closed to traffic at the time of publication.
The official explained that road clearance was taking longer because demonstrators had left large quantities of stones and other obstacles on the asphalt. For this reason, he called on municipal authorities to provide heavy machinery to accelerate the work and restore vehicular passage as soon as possible.
The spokesman thanked the Police and Armed Forces for their performance, attributing professionalism to them in managing the conflict. He also clarified that priority was given to opening strategic routes to guarantee the supply of food, medicines, oxygen and fuel to areas affected by the blockades.
Source: El Deber