Ex-Bolivian President rejects accusations of statutory rape
Date
1/21/2025 7:02:18 AM
(MENAFN) Former Bolivian President Evo Morales has rejected accusations of statutory rape, claiming that they are part of a Politically motivated campaign by his rivals. Morales, 65, was accused of having a child with an underage girl in 2016, an act considered statutory rape in Bolivia. Following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him on Saturday, Morales dismissed the charges, labeling them as politically driven and part of an effort to discredit him ahead of Bolivia’s upcoming elections.
Morales accused the Bolivian judiciary, particularly Judge Nelson Rocabado, of bias and claimed the judiciary was aligned with his political opponents, including current President Luis Arce. He argued that the legal process lacked evidence and was designed to eliminate him from the presidential race, as the country’s elections are scheduled for August 2025. Morales further criticized the arrest warrant, stating that it was issued after he missed hearings twice regarding his pretrial detention. His assets have been frozen, and he has been banned from leaving the country.
Morales, who lives in the Chapare region, remains popular among his supporters. The former president, Bolivia’s first indigenous leader, fled the country in 2019 amid allegations of voter fraud and later returned in 2020 after his ally, Arce, won the presidency. However, their relationship deteriorated over control of the Movement for Socialism party. In addition to the rape charges, Morales claimed he was the target of an assassination attempt in November 2024, an incident the government denied, accusing him of staging the attack.
MENAFN21012025000045015687ID1109112521
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.