La Paz: Police guards outside Bolivia's presidential palace abandoned their posts Saturday, and the military said it would not "confront the people" over the issue, increasing pressure on President Evo Morales as he seeks to curb nationwide unrest after a disputed election.

Officers also climbed onto the roof of a nearby police station holding Bolivian flags and signs proclaiming "The Police with the People." Police retreated to their barracks in at least three cities, and there were reports that some in two cities were openly declaring mutinies.

Police against the re-election of President Evo Morales stand on the rooftop of a police station just meters away from the presidential palace waving national flags, near a sign that reads in Spanish: "The police is with the people". Credit:AP

The President, who was not at the palace at the time and appeared later at a military airfield outside La Paz, urged police to "preserve the security" of Bolivia and obey the rules.

Adding to the pressure on Morales, the armed forces said in a statement on Saturday "that we will never confront the people to whom we have a duty and we will always ensure peace, coexistence and the development of our homeland."