Former Bolivian President Evo Morales barricaded himself in his coca-growing fiefdom of Chapare on Friday after declaring himself “politically persecuted” and with his followers in vigil he seeks to avoid his arrest after failing to appear to testify before the Prosecutor’s Office, which is investigating him for alleged trafficking, trafficking of people and rape.
Prosecutor Sandra Gutiérrez said the day before that, given Morales’ failure to attend a summons to respond to the accusations, “it is appropriate to issue the arrest warrant” without specifying when the order will be issued.
Through his lawyers, Morales said that he will not appear to testify “due to lack of guarantees.”
Morales lives in Chapare, in the center of the country, where he still presides over the largest coca growers union and is dedicated to raising fish and planting rice.
The unions that support the former ruler issued a statement in which they called for “vigils.”
“If they arrest brother Evo Morales, there will immediately be a road blockade against the government of (President Luis) Arce due to the economic crisis, corruption and political persecution,” says the declaration of the so-called Unity Pact, related to the politician. 65 years old.
Although the accusation against Morales is not new, it was activated after he led a massive march against Arce due to the economic crisis, the rise in prices and to demand his qualification as a candidate for the presidency in 2025, with a ruling by the Constitutional Court. left out of the race.
The case would involve a minor at the time with whom Morales allegedly had a relationship when he was president (2006-2019). The young woman’s parents are also being investigated.
The police commander, Álvaro Álvarez, reported that the father was arrested on Friday. The parents had not appeared to testify either.
Morales and Arce wage a bitter political war for the leadership and presidential nomination of the divided ruling party Movement towards Socialism (MAS).
“There is a desperation on the part of Morales who seeks to victimize himself. If he did not appear to testify, he does not have privileges and it is appropriate to order his arrest and arrest him so that he can testify. If there are blockades, we will go out to unblock them,” said the leader of the largest indigenous and peasant union Juan Carlos Gutiérrez, aligned with Arce.
Gutiérrez said that the prosecutor leading the investigation should “step aside from the case” since she was the former president’s Minister of Justice.
The case has sparked a war of accusations between the two sides. Morales, through the social network In turn, Arce accused him of organizing protests to force his resignation.
According to analysts and opponents, the MAS is experiencing a deep crisis and the exhaustion of the statist economic model promoted by Morales after the collapse of the traditional parties in 2003. The internal struggle is inducing the divided opposition parties of the center and the right to seek alliances to confront the weakened ruling party.
The war in the MAS has aggravated the deep crisis of Bolivian justice, highlighted by international organizations for its lack of independence from political power.
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