Evo Morales defies justice and entrenches himself in his coca-growing fiefdom to avoid a possible arrest

The former president of Bolivia Evo Morales barricaded himself this Friday in his coca-growing fiefdom of Chapare, in the province of Cochabamba, after declare 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, human trafficking and statutory rape.

Prosecutor Sandra Gutiérrez said on Thursday that, given Morales’ failure to attend a statement to respond to the accusations, “it is appropriate to remove 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.”

The former president 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 president of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) issued a statement in which they called for “vigils.” And they threatened to block routes, in a new episode that highlights the confrontation between Morales and his former ally and dolphin Luis Arce, the current president, of his same party.

“If they arrest brother Evo Morales, there will immediately be a road blockade against the Arce government due to the economic crisis, corruption and political persecution,” says the declaration of the so-called Unity Pact, related to the 65-year-old politician.

Although the accusation against Morales is not new, it was activated after he led a massive march against Arce in September due to the economic crisis, the rise in prices and to claim his qualification as a presidential candidate in 2025 after a ruling by the Constitutional Court left him out of the race.

The case that would involve a then minor 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 tough political war for the leadership and presidential nomination of the divided 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 unleashed 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 an exhaustion of the statist economic model that Morales promoted after the collapse of the traditional parties in 2003.

The internal struggle is prompting 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.