Bolivia鈥檚 transformative and divisive former President Evo Morales said Sunday that he would press on with a hunger strike until the government of his protege-turned-rival agreed to a political dialogue. The act, exposing the depth of the Andean country鈥檚 divisions, aims to defuse the protests over Morales鈥� claims of political persecution that have paralyzed the nation in recent weeks.

Morales, a larger-than-life figure still towering over Bolivian politics, spoke from the misty tropics of Chapare, Bolivia鈥檚 rural coca-growing region that serves as his stronghold.

鈥淢y fight is to improve the situation in the country and to start a dialogue without conditions on two fronts, one economic and one political,鈥� Morales told The Associated Press from the office of the coca growers鈥� federation that he has long led.

He said he began his hunger strike on Friday in hopes of 鈥渋nternational organizations or friendly governments鈥� facilitating his outreach to his political nemesis, President Luis Arce.

Tensions have surged over the past three weeks since pro-Morales supporters erected crippling roadblocks aimed at rebuking Arce 鈥� the ex-president鈥檚 former economy minister with whom he鈥檚 vying to lead Bolivia鈥檚 governing socialist party into next year鈥檚 elections.

Calling for Arce鈥檚 resignation, the protesters have also sought to challenge his government鈥檚 attempt to revive a 2016 statutory rape case against Morales, an ethnic Aymara who was the first member of an Indigenous community to become the president of Latin America鈥檚 only Indigenous-majority nation.

Morales has denied any wrongdoing. 鈥淢y crime is being Indigenous,鈥� he said on Sunday.

The AP reached Morales after an arduous 11-hour journey by car, motorcycle and foot over hills and through the highlands, circumventing road blockades, crisscrossing routes littered with debris and squeaking through over a dozen security checkpoints, in some cases manned by profiteers.

Roadblocks are a common protest tactic in Bolivia, where the mountainous terrain means a few strategically positioned checkpoints can can isolate major cities and bring the country to a halt.

Morales鈥� supporters have used it over past decades to great effect and did so again this month, escalating pressure on Arce to take action against protesters who have marooned hundreds of thousands of residents in the highlands, raising fears of food and gasoline shortages and hiking up already inflated prices in major cities, even the capital of La Paz.

鈥淚 see people rising up even more,鈥� said Eusebio Urbano, a farmer protesting in support of Morales at one of the road blockades Sunday. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what this government thinks. 鈥� They don鈥檛 try to solve anything. We鈥檒l have to exert pressure until it leaves.鈥�

Last Friday, Arce鈥檚 government sent some 3,000 police officers armed with tear gas and backed by helicopters to break up the blockades by force.

Senior Minister Eduardo Del Castillo said security forces had arrested dozens of protesters in a crackdown that succeeded in clearing the road linking Cochabamba, Bolivia鈥檚 third-biggest city, and La Paz. He said security forces transferred over 50 of them to pre-trial detention in the capital.

鈥淲hat happened was very inhumane,鈥� Morales said, adding that his refusal to eat was also aimed at pressuring authorities to release the 66 detainees. 鈥淭hese are humble people who were presented as terrorists.鈥�

It was the latest turn in Bolivia鈥檚 long-running political crisis, which escalated last week when gunmen ambushed Morales鈥� convoy in what the former president claimed was a government-led assassination attempt. Officials in Arce鈥檚 government denied this, alleging that police opened fire because Morales鈥� van had barreled through a security checkpoint.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e been using any tactic they can, politically, legally, morally and now, to end my life physically,鈥� Morales said.

From there, protests in Morales鈥� defense only intensified. On Friday, Arce鈥檚 government accused his demonstrators of occupying military barracks in Chapare, a flashpoint for conflict since the U.S.-backed war on drugs in the 1990s. Authorities said that protesters seized weapons and held some 200 soldiers hostage Friday.

Morales and his supporters rejected reports of a violent hostage situation, with the leader鈥檚 Kausachun Coca radio station airing footage that showed protesting union members and soldiers negotiating calmly while munching on coca leaves.

鈥淧lease, it鈥檚 not a take-over of military barracks,鈥� Morales said. 鈥淭hey are vigils until their economic and political demands are met.鈥�

Del Castillo, the minister, said Sunday that the government is, in principle, open to negotiation with Morales. But he said authorities didn鈥檛 trust his motives.

鈥淢orales doesn鈥檛 care about the country, he cares about himself. He is looking for new confrontations,鈥� said Del Castillo. 鈥淢orales has a whole script to destabilize the government.鈥�

The surge in tensions comes against the backdrop of a bitter rift at the highest rungs of Bolivia鈥檚 long-dominant Movement Toward Socialism party, which deepened last month when authorities announced their intention to arrest Morales on charges that he fathered a daughter with a 15-year-old girl in 2016 when he was 56 years old and president.

Morales and his supporters have decried the case as a political witch hunt aimed at blocking his candidacy in the 2025 election.

Arce insists that the current constitution 鈥� which permits just two consecutive terms 鈥� forbids Morales, who held power from 2006-2019, from running next year, anyway.

鈥淚t is a betrayal of the people, of the party activists, of the revolution,鈥� Morales said of Arce鈥檚 efforts to undercut him.

In neighboring Argentina, the government of far-right President Javier Milei on Saturday announced it had lodged a complaint accusing Morales of child abuse committed during the former president鈥檚 monthslong political exile in Argentina, from 2019 to 2020.

At that time, allegations of election fraud sparked mass protests that led Morales to resign under pressure from the military and flee to Mexico before seeking asylum in Argentina 鈥� an ouster that Morales and his supporters view as a coup.

Now, years later, Morales 鈥� who continues to evince intense support from the Indigenous population 鈥� has seized upon growing discontent with his chosen successor.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I, Evo, want to be president, the people have asked me to return,鈥� Morales said. 鈥淒uring my administration there was stability. When there is economic and political stability, there is happiness.鈥�

Many in the country have soured on Arce over the collapse of Bolivia鈥檚 once-growing economy built on cheap dollars and fuel. They look back fondly on the tenure of Morales, credited with lifting millions out of poverty and drastically narrowing Bolivia鈥檚 wealth divide during the nation鈥檚 natural gas boom.

鈥淣ow with more experience, we are ready to save Bolivia,鈥� Morales said, promising he would revive the flailing economy by having Bolivia join BRICS, a group of emerging economies seeking to counter Western dominance of the world order, and collaborating more closely with China.

The former president, now 65, isn鈥檛 sure how long his hunger strike will last. But he said he鈥檚 prepared for the deprivation.

鈥淚 do a lot of sports,鈥� Morales said. 鈥淭oday I woke up at 4 a.m. and did 1,015 sit-ups.鈥�