Bolivian judge’s warrant for Morales’ arrest
A Bolivian judge has ordered the arrest of former president 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 warrant was issued to arrest and search the house of the former president.”
Morales denies these accusations and claims that he is a victim of the legal game of Luis Arce, the current president of Bolivia and his political rival.
Morales refused to appear in court and for this reason his arrest warrant was issued.
In December 2024, Bolivia’s prosecutor’s office also issued an arrest warrant for Morales, but Friday’s warrant added to calls for the former president’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 prevent arrest.
On Friday, a group of women and mothers gathered in front 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 president 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 control of Bolivia’s ruling party ahead of the August 2024 presidential election.
Morales’ lawyers argue that their client 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 current government.
In the meantime, opposition leaders and government officials have criticized Morales’ position for not attending the court session.
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