Supporters of former Bolivian leader Morales block roads to protest arrest

Supporters of former Bolivian president Evo Morales blocked two major roads and clashed with police on Monday over the ex-leader's possible arrest in the coming days over allegations that he raped a teenage girl.

The blockages, which the protesters said would be indefinite, began at dawn and are concentrated on two roads that connect the department of Cochabamba -- where Morales spends most of his time -- with the cities of Sucre and Santa Cruz.

"This afternoon, tomorrow and into the next few days, the entire country will be blocked," Ponciano Santos, secretary of a trade union involved in the protest, told the press.

In the town of Parotani on the road leading to La Paz, protesters clashed with police who used tear gas to subdue them. Police confirmed reports that at least six people had been arrested.