Tensions rise in Bolivia after court reissues arrest warrant for ex-leader Morales

Tensions have reached a breaking point in Bolivia as supporters of former president Evo Morales warned they would "throw the country into turmoil" following a court's decision to declare the leader in contempt and renew a warrant for his arrest.

The trial, centred on allegations of aggravated human trafficking and statutory rape, was suspended indefinitely. The public prosecutor's office said proceedings cannot resume until Morales appears in court or is forcibly detained by law enforcement.

Morales, who governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019, has remained in the Chapare coca-growing region, his primary political and union stronghold, since October 2024. Thousands of farmers currently stand guard around the perimeter to prevent a police raid.

"They think that by arresting Evo Morales, they will succeed in quelling and demobilising the movement. They are very much mistaken," coca grower leader Dieter Mendoza said on Kawsachun Coca radio.

The prosecution alleges that while in office, Morales had a relationship with a 15-year-old girl that resulted in the birth of a daughter. According to case files, the girl's parents allegedly consented to the relationship in exchange for benefits.

Luis Gutierrez, the lead prosecutor, confirmed on Monday that the trial is frozen until Morales and the victim's mother "appear or are brought in by law enforcement." He emphasised that the responsibility now lies solely with the police to execute the warrants.

The judiciary confirmed Morales' status as a fugitive on Monday, issuing fresh arrest warrants and orders prohibiting him from leaving the country. These measures reinforce similar orders that have been in effect since he first failed to appear for a pretrial hearing in January 2025.

'Judicial persecution'

The legal team for Morales, the nation's first indigenous president, has argued that he did not appear on Monday because they had not been "properly notified," claiming the court used a public notice in print media rather than sending a summons to the former leader's residence.

Morales and his allies have rejected the charges, characterising the case as "judicial persecution" orchestrated by the government of President Rodrigo Paz to prevent him from returning to power.

Forced to resign after elections tainted by fraud, he slipped away into exile in Mexico and later Argentina, but returned home a year later.

He failed to make a comeback last year after being barred from seeking a fourth term in presidential elections.

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Source: TRT