Bolivian authorities issued an arrest warrant on Monday for former president Evo Morales after he failed to appear before a court in the southern city of Tarija, where he faces charges related to human trafficking and the alleged abuse of a minor. Judge Carlos Oblitas formally declared Morales in rebellion against the justice system, a legal status that includes restrictions on movement and immediate detention orders.
The case centers on accusations that Morales impregnated a 15-year-old girl while serving as Bolivia’s president between 2006 and 2019. Prosecutors claim they have assembled more than 170 pieces of evidence to support the charges, including messages and images that allegedly show a relationship between the former leader and the teenager. According to investigators, the victim’s parents allegedly accepted the relationship in exchange for political and economic favors, leading prosecutors to also charge the girl’s mother, who is currently considered a fugitive in Argentina.
Morales has denied wrongdoing and refused to attend the hearing, arguing through his legal team that the process is politically motivated and procedurally flawed. His lawyer, Wilfredo Chávez, claimed the former president had not been properly notified of the trial and accused the judiciary of violating legal procedures. Bolivia’s Supreme Court officials rejected those arguments, insisting the notifications complied with national criminal procedure laws and had been delivered through multiple valid channels.
The former president has remained hidden since 2024 in the Chapare region, a coca-growing stronghold where he built his political career and still commands fierce loyalty among coca farmers and indigenous supporters. Reports from the area describe groups of supporters guarding Morales with improvised shields and spear-like sticks to prevent authorities from carrying out any arrest operation.
The scandal dates back to 2020 during the interim government of Jeanine Áñez, when allegations against Morales first emerged publicly. A complaint was initially filed by Bolivia’s Justice Ministry but was later shelved after Morales ally and former Economy Minister Luis Arce became president. The investigation was revived in 2024 amid a bitter political rupture between Arce and Morales that has split Bolivia’s ruling socialist movement into rival factions.
The renewed legal battle now unfolds against the backdrop of escalating political tensions involving current President Rodrigo Paz. Morales is preparing a protest march toward the capital, La Paz, accusing the government of implementing “neoliberal and privatizing policies” that he blames for soaring inflation and economic instability. In response, Paz has accused Morales of attempting to destabilize the country.
Government officials recently released alleged audio recordings purportedly showing Morales instructing supporters to “surround” La Paz during demonstrations. However, independent fact-checkers later disputed the government’s claims, saying the recordings were old and originated during previous conflicts between Morales and former president Luis Arce.
The arrest order marks one of the most dramatic moments in Bolivia’s recent political history, threatening to deepen unrest in a country already strained by economic anxiety, institutional mistrust, and an increasingly volatile struggle for control of the left-wing political movement that has dominated Bolivia for nearly two decades.
