Supporters of Bolivia’s ex-leader Evo Morales block roads against his arrest in teen abuse case

Evo Morales’ supporters are tightening their grip on Luis Arce’s administration. Since Monday, coca-growing peasants have been blocking most of the roads that connect the Chapare region, the former president’s political stronghold, with the rest of Bolivia. They are thus expressing their rejection of the government’s intention to arrest Morales to prosecute him for an alleged case of rape aggravated by human trafficking and smuggling charges.

The judicial authorities have also issued an “immigration alert” to prevent Morales, who was president from 2006 to 2019, from leaving the country. The Indigenous leader is taking refuge in his home in Villa Tunari, a small town that lives off coca and tourism in Chapare. The leaders of the coca growers declared on television that they seek to “protect the freedom, integrity and [avoid] the kidnapping” of the president of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party.

Police used tear gas to suppress a blockade in Parotani, a town near the city of Cochabamba that is not in the coca-growing area. The blockages in this area, however, which have the direct support of the population, have not been interfered with by the authorities.

The roadblocks are aimed at getting Arce’s government to resolve two aspects of the country’s economic crisis: the lack of dollars and the shortage of fuel. For this reason, Arce called his former political mentor and now irreconcilable enemy Morales to a dialogue to discuss the “Evo” demands, which have nothing to do with the judicial process against the former president. The invitation is also issued to five other leaders, so that Morales and his supporters will not think that it is a ruse to arrest the former president. Morales is not expected to attend, but Arce will nevertheless wait for him at the established time in front of the television cameras.

The Tarija Prosecutor’s Office is investigating Morales because he allegedly had a daughter with a 15-year-old girl; according to the complaint, he got close to the teenager by doing political favors for her parents. According to the accusation, the events happened when Morales was president and 56 years of age.

The father of the alleged victim is in preventive custody because he failed to show up to provide testimony in court as required, while the mother is still being sought by the police. Morales also ignored his own summons to appear in court and is now facing an arrest warrant. Since then, the Chapare and the coca growers have mobilized to prevent this from happening. One of the leaders threatened to “set the country on fire” if Morales is detained.

Defense attorneys say the prosecution is “fabricating a case” because “there is no evidence,” since the alleged victim refuses to testify and her parents are defendants in the case, not accusers. They also argue that another prosecutor already dismissed the case in 2019, even though Morales was no longer in power at the time. The material evidence that the prosecution is clinging to is a birth certificate in which the alleged father recognizes the daughter he had with a teenager.

“The treacherous government has constructed a judicial and violent route to end the Process of Change… they intend to disqualify us through court rulings,” Morales wrote on X. He attributed to the government the desire to “promote such a level of legitimized violence, which results in episodes such as the attempt on the life of Cristina Fernández.” And he assured: “We are not afraid of them. Abuse and violence have always found a democratic response in us.”

Although what is at stake is Morales’ candidacy for the elections, the fight constantly mentions the main problem of Bolivians, which is the economic crisis. The country has ceased to be a gas power, as it was until not long ago, and this has completely unbalanced the national finances. Two weeks ago, Bolivia stopped selling gas to Argentina, thus ending a trade that dates back to the 1960s. This is due both to Argentina’s discovery of the Vaca Muerta deposit and to Bolivia’s inability to maintain a sufficient supply for northern Argentina. Arce blames this situation on the errors of the Morales governments, in which he participated as Minister of Economy, while Morales affirms that the problems are due to the “incapacity” of his successor.

While the MAS party is tearing itself apart in its fratricidal struggle, the opposition is starting to warm up for the campaign that officially begins next February, with elections due to be held in August.

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