Bolivia Issues Arrest Warrant for Former President Evo Morales After Court No-Show
Theo Al Jazeera
A Bolivian judge ruled former President Evo Morales in contempt and re-issued an arrest warrant after he failed to appear in court on child-trafficking charges Monday. Morales is accused of having a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office. His supporters have vowed to resist any arrest attempt, threatening nationwide unrest.
A Bolivian judge found former President Evo Morales guilty of contempt of court and re-issued an arrest warrant after he failed to attend a hearing on child-trafficking charges Monday (Feb. 17).
The ruling heightened tensions in the South American nation, as Morales supporters warned they would “throw the country into chaos” if the ex-leader is detained.
Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, is accused of having a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office. The girl’s parents are charged with consenting to the relationship in exchange for favors from Morales.
The socialist ex-leader, who governed from 2006 to 2019, has denied all allegations. He missed the court session planned in the southern city of Tarija, forcing a postponement.
The prosecutor’s office said Morales’ absence was “without just cause,” confirming his fugitive status and providing grounds for an arrest warrant and a travel ban.
The former president has been hiding from the law in the Chapare coca-growing region since late 2024, shielded by Indigenous supporters who have vowed to resist any arrest attempt.
“We are ready to fight,” supporter Dieter Mendoza said Monday on radio Kawsachun Coca. “They think that by capturing Evo Morales they will succeed in crushing and weakening the movement. They are completely wrong. If they touch Evo Morales, this will cause an uprising across Bolivia.”
Mendoza called on residents of the Cochabamba tropics to remain “on high alert” and “ready to fight.”
Authorities first issued an arrest warrant for Morales in October 2024 but could not enforce it after his supporters blockaded roads for 24 days, preventing police from reaching the area where he was hiding. Morales was already convicted of contempt in January 2025 for missing a pretrial detention hearing.
Wilfredo Chavez, one of his lawyers, told AFP that neither Morales nor the legal team were in court because they were not “properly notified.” The lawyer said the court sent the summons not to Morales’ address but only via a public notice.
Morales, who rose from poverty to become one of Latin America’s longest-serving leaders, has accused his persecutors of “convicting me in record time.” His refusal to step down after three terms in 2019 led to a chaotic exit, overshadowing nearly 14 years of economic growth and poverty reduction.
Forced to resign after elections marred by allegations of fraud, he lived in exile in Mexico and Argentina, returning a year later. He failed in a comeback bid last year after being barred from seeking a fourth term.
