‘He died in my hands’: 3 pro-Morales demonstrators killed in clashes with Bolivia’s police & soldiers near barricaded fuel plant

Three people have died during protests in Bolivia against the self-declared “interim” government that ousted Evo Morales, after violent clashes erupted between the socialist leader’s supporters and security forces.

In addition to the three fatalities at a fuel plant on Tuesday, Bolivia’s public defender’s office said another 30 people had been injured in the skirmishes, but added the exact circumstances of the deaths and injuries remained unclear.

Public Ombudsman Nadia Cruz’s office said the deaths were caused by gunshot wounds and called on the “interim” government to withdraw military units from all policing operations in order to reduce the violence.

An Associated Press journalist in the area also reported hearing gunfire near the fuel facility in Senkata, which protesters have tried to block over the last five days in an attempt to shut down operations, as well as seeing a military helicopter flying over the plant.

A doctor on the scene told Ruptly that he tried to save one of the wounded demonstrators, but failed to do so.

“It’s a shame to see a comrade die in this way, because he died in my hands. Seeing it was a shot in the heart, how sad to see something like that,” the doctor said.

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