bolivia

The defense of the former president of Bolivia Evo Morales (2006-2019) maintained this Thursday that there is a “clear political persecution” against the Bolivian leader by the Government of Luis Arceafter a prosecutor reported that she was dismissed for investigating and ordering arrest for alleged human trafficking and smuggling.

In statements to EFE, one of Morales’ lawyers, Orlando Ceballosstated that “there has been no written complaint”, nor oral, and accused the Government of being “autocratic”, “police” and of using “judicial instances and the Public Ministry for the sole purpose of legal elimination.”

“This is a clear political persecution, it is the vendetta for the great ‘March to Save Bolivia’ and today Evo Morales finds himself, in terms of his rights and guarantees, enormously threatened”he stated.

The aforementioned march was a 187-kilometer walk led by Morales towards La Paz to demand that the Government pay attention to problems such as the shortage of dollars and fuel, but also to recognize a party congress in which he was named by his followers as “candidate.” “unique” for the 2025 general elections.

Ceballos considered that the Executive “is making horrible use of the coercive and coercive mechanisms of the State” and insisted that the former president “does not have the slightest guarantee that his rights” are respected by Justice or the Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the former magistrate, although the arrest warrant against Morales “has been rendered ineffective” by instruction from a judge in the eastern city of Holy Crossthere is “a dangerous shift in the police state, in the police government that has used a departmental prosecutor” to activate the case.

Ceballos assured that the now dismissed departmental prosecutor of the southern region of Tarija, Sandra Gutiérrez, failed to comply with procedural rules and insisted that the objective of this and other cases recently opened against the former president have “the sole purpose of detaining Evo Morales.” .

He also said that “the people and social organizations are going to take care of” the government leader as well. Movement to Socialism (MAS).

For his part, Evo Morales, in an alleged allusion to the case, pointed out this day on the social network , “imprisoned” and supposedly “tried” to kill him.

«I’m not afraid! They won’t shut me up! “I will continue fighting alongside our people, alongside my sisters and brothers who never abandoned me.”held.

On Wednesday, Sandra Gutierrez reported that she was dismissed by the State Attorney General, Juan Lanchipafor refusing to stop an investigation against Evo Morales for the alleged crime of human trafficking and for which there was an arrest warrant that was annulled by a court order.

The case “would have occurred” in a province of Tarija, when the alleged victim “was 15 years old,” although Gutiérrez declined to give further details as there was a minor involved.

Gutiérrez pointed out that “the background comes from an intelligence report” and denounced that there are supposedly “specific orders” from Lanchipa “to do absolutely nothing” about this case.

The case arises in the midst of the internal fight in the MAS between factions related to Morales and the country’s president, Luis Arce, for control of the party, the form of administration of the State and the presidential candidacy for the 2025 general elections. EFE (I)

The former president of Bolivia and official leader, Evo Morales (2006-2019), accused this Friday the Bolivian president, Luis Arceto renounce resolving their differences in a “democratic way” and to begin a “judicial persecution” against him, after learning of an investigation of “human trafficking” that involves him.

Arce and Morales fight a long battle for control of the ruling party Movement to Socialism (MAS) and the Bolivian Executive and have been separated since 2021 also due to a fight for the presidential candidacy for next year’s general elections.

According to Morales, the president took his fight to the judicial field to involve him in a case of “human trafficking”, in which he is accused of “raping a minor under 15 years of age” and of creating a network of young people to have at his disposal. during his presidency, which he would have called “Generation Evo.”

«A long time ago we reported that the Government of Luis Arce decided to become a fascist and anti-popular government. “They gave up resolving any differences democratically, to move on to judicial persecution.”Morales wrote in a post on the social network X.

On Wednesday night the prosecutor Sandra Gutierrez denounced that she was fired hours before executing an arrest warrant against Morales, and said that it was a direct order from the attorney general Juan Lanchipawho also told him that “that case is not discussed.”

The attorney general, who ends his term this month, was questioned by several Arce ministers who demanded explanations for firing Gutiérrez and for not executing the arrest warrant for Morales. Lanchipa assured that the former prosecutor’s departure was due to her “negligence” in that investigation.

Following the statements of the now former departmental prosecutor of Tarija, the complaint of human trafficking was leaked to the media and was confirmed by several government officials.

President Arce himself requested that the case be declared “reserved” so that it does not become politicized and to protect Morales’ alleged victim.

The day before, the new Minister of Justice, Cesar Silessaid that the case involves a “girl” who was “raped at 15, 16 years old,” allegedly “forced by her parents” in exchange for “specific favors.”

According to Siles, “as a result of that rape he fathered another girl,” whose father “recognized in a birth certificate(s) Mr. Evo Morales Aima”.

For his part, Morales insisted that “judicial abuse became the only tool available to a Government emptied of legitimacy,” denying the accusations against him.

The complaint of human trafficking was filed on September 26, three days after Morales and thousands of his followers arrived in the city of Peace after marching 187 kilometers for seven days through the highlands.

At the end of the march, Morales gave a speech where, in an ultimatum, he told Arce that “if he wanted to continue governing” he had to fire his ministers, whom he described as “corrupt, drug narcotics.” EFE (I)