A group of police officers Special Forces of Bolivia This Tuesday they placed a printed summons in one of the houses of the former president and leader of the ruling party, Evo Morales (2006-2019), in the region of Cochabambato testify on Thursday, October 10, in a case of alleged “human trafficking” and “rape.”
Since last Wednesday, Morales has denied the accusations that during his Presidency he had created a network of young people between 14 and 15 years old to have at his disposal called ‘Generation Evo’and the complaint of “rape” of a minor with whom he would have had a child.
“I am going to defend myself legally (…) as I have defended myself against many presidents”Morales said this Tuesday at a conference in Cochabamba, although he did not confirm whether he will make the statement appointment.
The complaint of these alleged crimes was presented on September 26 in the prosecutor’s office of Tariathree days after, after a 187-kilometer march, Morales and thousands of his followers gave an ultimatum to the president’s government Luis Arcewith whom he maintains a fight for control of the ruling party Movement to Socialism (MAS) and the Executive.
The parents of the possible victim were also called to testify before a prosecutor, since they are accused of having “profited” from their daughter, by handing her over to the former president in exchange for political and economic “favors.”
The summons to Morales comes after a controversy within the Bolivian Justice, due to the dismissal of the departmental prosecutor Sandra Gutierrezwho stated last Wednesday that he was going to execute an arrest warrant against the former president, but was fired by the prosecutor Juan Lanchipa hours before.
However, the day before a judge ordered Gutiérrez’s reinstatement to his position and Lanchipa informed Morales and the parents of the alleged victim about the summons.
Morales accuses the Government of persecuting him
Morales has been clear with his intention to return to the Presidency, since as he recently said in an interview with EFE, he is the only one “who can save Bolivia” from what he considers a “neoliberal” and “right-wing” government of which was his Minister of Economy, Luis Arce.
The former president and coca-growing leader assured EFE five days before the complaint for “human trafficking” and “rape” was filed that the Government had “four plans against him” including “killing him” to not let him participate in the elections. 2025 presidential elections.
The Puebla Group, a political and academic forum made up of representatives of the Latin American political left, brought the accusations against Morales to the political field, showing its concern about the “lawfare campaign” against the MAS leader
“Despite all the mediation efforts carried out by a group of colleagues from the Puebla Group between former President Evo Morales and President Luis Arce, their legitimate differences now seem to be transferred to the judicial courts”expressed the Puebla Group in a statement.
For his part, President Arce said about the accusations against Morales, “it cannot be that no one goes unpunished when there is an investigation. Children are not touched and that is our position. “We don’t want this issue to be politicized.”
More complaints could come
The Government Minister, Eduardo del Castillostated that he has three complaints for “rape” involving Morales, and said that “he does not rule out that more will arrive.”
Del Castillo, who has exchanged accusations of “drug trafficking” with the former president, also assured this day that he can guarantee Morales’ safety so that he can testify this Thursday to the Tarija prosecutor’s office.
Morales already faced a case for statutory rape and relations with minors opened during the interim government of Jeanine Anez (2019-2020).
The accusation was based on photographs and cell phone messages with a minor who supposedly presented an unexplained migratory flow to Mexico and Argentina, countries where Morales was when he left the Presidency.
However, that and the other cases were dismissed or closed after the return of the MAS to power and Morales to Bolivia at the end of 2020. EFE (I)
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