COCHABAMBA, March 1.—President Evo Morales and Vice President Alvaro García Linera were involved in a flight incident on Monday afternoon when they were approaching Cochabamba from Orinoca, the president’s native city.

According to the website Bolivia.com Yuri Muñoz, chief of transport in Cochabamba, stated that the helicopter transporting them was forced to make an emergency landing when it began to descend out of control, apparently due to technical failure.

However, according to a national news agency, Cochabamba deputies said that sabotage should not be discounted, something the authorities did not mention.

The incident occurred at around 5:00 p.m. last Monday in the vicinity of the Industrial Park in Santibáñez, 20 kilometers from the Cochabamba.

The flight incident, in a French-manufactured Lama helicopter, could have occurred because the aircraft was using non-refined fuel, in addition to not having the necessary technical conditions for the flight, according to hypotheses.

The agenda of the two leaders included an immediate departure to the Chapare area to participate in the inauguration of a social center in in Lauca Ñ, and a visit to Radio Soberania located in Chipiriri.