Bolivia’s deputy transport minister died while on his way to unblock a transport blockade: his car collided with a truck that was stuck due to protests

Bolivia’s deputy transport minister, Israel Ticona, has died during the night of this Tuesday in a car accident while he was going to resolve a vector block. Death occurred when The car carrying him collided with one of the trucks which was on the side of the road.

Now, after the official’s death, The government holds the protesters responsible and announced that he will take legal action against the organizers of the blockade.

“This deputy minister went to the checkpoint to convince them to lift the measure, allowing the circulation of hundreds of blocked vehicles,” confirmed the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo del Castillo.

In a press conference, the government official reported that the vehicle in which the deputy minister was traveling collided with a truck parked on the road and that it is presumed “I couldn’t advance because of the protest”. The accident occurred after 11pm.

In addition to Ticona’s death, government sources confirmed that the driver of the vehicle was “injured” and under observation, with serious head injuries, and that another person was injured in the accident: the coordinator of the Ministry of Public Works .

Ticona’s body was transported by helicopter from the crash site to the eastern capital. From there he was taken to the Pampa de la Isla morgue, according to the newspaper. The reason of that country.

Ticona was heading from Santa Cruz to Cuatro Cañadas to meet a Chuiquitanía transport sector that was blocking the route due to a protest.

The protest was led by Armando Apazaof the Transport Federation of Greater Chiquitanía, which requires road maintenance, toll leveling and operating licenses for new refueling stations in the provinces of Santa Cruz, a region that is the economic engine of Bolivia.

The minister described the protest in the region, 147 kilometers northeast of Santa Cruz, as “unjustified and political”given the protesters’ refusal to dialogue despite the Government having proposed the holding of working groups to respond to their requests.

The complaint that the Government will make

Del Castillo indicated that an investigation into Ticona’s death will be launched. And he aimed directly at those responsible for the blockade, against whom he denounced at least six criminal acts.

“The crimes that we will charge them are association aimed at preventing or hindering the exercise of functions, attack on the safety of means of transport, attack on the safety of public services. Also sabotage, attack on work and the crime of manslaughter”, explained the minister.

The Government stressed that Apaza, the leader of the transporters, was primarily responsible for encouraging the blockade “without any justification”.

The blockade of transporters in that area has been lifted by the Protestants, after the death of deputy minister Ticona was confirmed, according to local media.