Sawt Falasteen - Bolivia's Morales slams 'brutal judicial war' after warrant issued

Morales, who held office from 2006 to 2019, has for months been engaged in a standoff with the state over an alleged relationship with a 15-year-old girl, with whom he is accused of fathering a daughter in 2016.

He has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming they are part of a plot by incumbent President Luis Arce -- a former ally turned rival -- to prevent his political comeback.

Morales, a former coca farmer, broke ground as Bolivia's first Indigenous leader but lost support after trying to cling onto power for a third term.

On Monday, public prosecutor Sandra Gutierrez confirmed that she had issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of "human trafficking involving a minor."

She called for him to be placed in preventive custody for six months.

Writing Tuesday on X, the 65-year-old Morales accused Arce of being behind the move, which he alleged was aimed at currying favor with the United States.

"I denounce to the world that I am the victim of a brutal judicial war (lawfare) carried out by the government of Luis Arce, who promised to hand me over to the US as a trophy of war," he wrote.

Morales was also initially being investigated for statutory rape -- sex with a minor -- but prosecutors later focused on human trafficking.

They believe the girl was placed by her parents in the youth guard of Morales' political movement when he was president "with the sole purpose of climbing the political ladder and obtaining benefits... in exchange for their underage daughter."

Gutierrez said the warrant against Morales was issued on October 16 but that it had been "impossible" to execute it because of resistance from Morales supporters.

On hearing of the case against Morales, his mostly Indigenous supporters barricaded highways leading to his central political stronghold of Cochabamba, where he was holed up.

The blockade, which caused widespread shortages of food and fuel, lasted for 23 days.

- Third term? -

Dozens of security force members were injured in clashes with the protesters.

At one point Morales accused Arce of trying to have him assassinated, with a video showing a pick-up truck in which he had travelled riddled with bullet holes and his driver bleeding from the head.

The government said police shot at his vehicle after coming under fire from his convoy at a police checkpoint.

Morales's refusal to give up power in 2019 after two terms led to a tumultuous exit that cast a shadow over nearly 14 years of economic progress and poverty reduction.

Forced to resign after elections tainted by fraud, he slipped away into exile in Argentina, returning home a year later.

Despite being barred by Bolivia's courts from seeking a third term, he is seeking the nomination of the left-wing MAS party in August 2025 presidential elections.

In September he led a march of thousands of Bolivians on the capital La Paz to protest Arce's policies.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST