Bolivian judge’s warra for Morales’ arrest
A Bolivian judge has ordered the arrest of former preside Evo Morales on charges of sexual abuse of a minor.
According to Isna, 65-year-old Morales is accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl in 2016.
According to ABC News, Judge Nelson Rocabado said after the court session in a region in the south of Bolivia where the victim lives: “A warra was issued to arrest and search the house of the former preside.”
Morales denies these accusations and claims that he is a victim of the legal game of Luis Arce, the curre preside of Bolivia and his political rival.
Morales refused to appear in court and for this reason his arrest warra was issued.
In December 2024, Bolivia’s prosecutor’s office also issued an arrest warra for Morales, but Friday’s warra added to calls for the former preside’s arrest.
Morales, who has a populist personality, resides in a residence in the Chapare region of Bolivia, which is home to cocoa growers’ unions and is protected by three security rings to preve arrest.
On Friday, a group of women and mothers gathered in fro of the court and held banners that read “O Morales is a rapist, don’t touch the girls.”
Sandra Gutierrez, the prosecutor in charge of this case, also said that they are investigating whether the former preside committed a crime by not appearing in court.
The case against Morales was brought last year amid political tensions between him and Arce to take corol of Bolivia’s ruling party ahead of the August 2024 presideial election.
Morales’ lawyers argue that their clie was unable to appear in court due to bronchitis and had heart problems on Friday. Of course, the judge handling this case rejected these claims and said that these diseases can be treated.
Morales, who enjoys strong support among many of Bolivia’s indigenous and rural populations, remains backed by local leaders who say Morales is in hiding because he believes he is not getting justice under the curre governme.
In the meaime, opposition leaders and governme officials have criticized Morales’ position for not attending the court session.
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