Five people were killed in clashes between protesters and security officers in Bolivia’s central Cochabamba department, local media reported.
Earlier news reports read that security forces used tear gas and detained demonstrators protesting against Jeanine Anez, the interim president who came to power earlier this week in the wake of the resignation of ex-President Evo Morales.
The Pagina 7 news outlet reported late on Friday that the victims died of gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile, the police said, as cited by the newspaper, that it did not use arms and only used chemical substances for dispersing demonstrators. The police put the blame for the killings on the military that also participated in the operation.
Moreover, the police said the protesters were armed, too.
Morales stood down and fled to Mexico last Saturday amid unrest that followed his victory in the presidential election. The opposition did not recognize the vote results and said there were regularities in the vote-counting process.