A Bolivian judge has found former President Evo Morales in contempt of court and reissued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for the start of his trial on charges of trafficking a minor. The ruling on Monday renewed tensions in the South American country, with supporters warning they would “throw the country into turmoil” if the former leader is arrested.
Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, is accused of fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office. The teenager’s parents allegedly consented to the relationship in exchange for favors from Morales. The former socialist leader, who governed from 2006 to 2019, has rejected the accusations.
The trial was scheduled to begin Monday in the southern city of Tarija but was suspended due to Morales’s absence. The Public Prosecutor’s Office said his “unjustified absence” confirmed his fugitive status and warranted an arrest order as well as a travel ban.
The former president has been hiding in his central coca-growing stronghold of Chapare since late 2024, guarded by Indigenous supporters who have vowed to resist any capture attempt. “They think that by arresting Evo Morales, they will succeed in quelling and demobilising the movement. They are very much mistaken,” supporter Dieter Mendoza said on Monday.
Authorities first issued an arrest warrant for Morales in October 2024 but could not execute it after his supporters blocked roads for 24 days. Morales was already declared in contempt in January 2025 for missing a pretrial hearing. His lawyer Wilfredo Chavez said neither Morales nor his lawyers would appear in court as they had not been “properly notified.”
Morales, who rose from poverty to become one of Latin America’s longest-serving leaders, has slammed those “that persecute me and condemn me in record time.” His refusal to give up power in 2019 after three terms led to a tumultuous exit, overshadowing years of economic progress. He failed to make a comeback last year after being barred from seeking a fourth term.
Source: www.aljazeera.com