A Bolivian judge has issued an arrest warrant for former president Evo Morales in connection with allegations of sexually abusing a teenage girl during his presidency. The case has intensified the ongoing conflict between the Bolivian state and Morales, one of the country’s longest-serving leaders.
The arrest of Morales was made after he failed to appear in a crucial court hearing in Tarija, where the alleged victim lives. Morales, 65, failed to appear before the judge for his pre-trial detention hearing, which he attributed to health reasons, a claim that the judge dismissed. In his ruling, Judge Nelson Rocabado ordered Morales’ arrest and also imposed several other measures, including freezing his assets and banning him from leaving the country.
“This is a warrant for his search and arrest,” Judge Rocabado said in a statement following the hearing. The verdict was aired on state television, drawing attention to the seriousness of the case and the national implications surrounding it.
What Are The Allegations Against Morales?
Morales, who began as a pauper and later became Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, has been met with serious charges of abusing a 15-year-old girl in his presidency. According to a girl who stated that Morales impregnated her the following year after the supposed abuse in 2015-an act that according to Bolivian law would constitute statutory rape -she was repeatedly abused by the then president while in his bedroom.
Prosecutors have brought further charges of human trafficking against Morales, who allegedly recruited the girl’s parents to enroll her in the youth wing of his political movement, called the “youth guard,” in a bid to further their own political ambitions. These charges carry a prison sentence of 10 to 15 years, according to Sandra Gutiérrez, the prosecutor handling the case.
The severity of the charges has not elicited a confirmation nor denial from Morales, thereby sparking further legal and political debates.
The case has generated considerable political fallout, with Morales and his supporters claiming he is the victim of a politically motivated legal assault orchestrated by his former ally, current President Luis Arce. Morales, who led Bolivia for nearly 14 years, claims that the charges are part of an effort to undermine him and his political legacy.
Morales has been hiding in the Chapare region, a coca-growing area in central Bolivia, ever since the charges were brought against him. He lives in a union headquarters, which is heavily protected by security forces to prevent his arrest. His supporters have rallied behind him, with large protests and roadblocks occurring in an attempt to disrupt any effort to arrest the former president.
Support For The Alleged Victim
Outside the courthouse on Friday, women’s rights activists gathered and waved signs with messages such as “Evo Morales abuser, girls are not to be touched,” demanding justice for the alleged victim. Such protests reflect growing frustration with the legal process, especially from those who believe justice has been delayed for the young girl.
However, his refusal to appear in court and cooperate with the judicial system has created more divisions. Morales’ supporters have blocked major roads in Bolivia, paralyzing its economy, in a bid to prevent him from being arrested for statutory rape and human trafficking charges.
Morales’ ouster in 2019 was not an easy affair. After controversial elections and claims of vote-rigging, he was driven into exile in Argentina. Morales returned to Bolivia a year later but has since been embroiled in a legal battle. Bolivia’s courts had ruled him out of seeking the third presidential term, but Morales has said he will contest again in the August 2025 elections as the candidate for the left-wing MAS party.
Morales has been surrounded by allegations and legal cases, which will cast a dark shadow over his political ambitions and make many ask whether he is able to deal with the case legally and restore the political power he once held.
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