Bolivia’s Public Ministry had requested in December the arrest of the former president for human trafficking and rape of a teenager with whom he had a child in 2016; leader refused to appear for testimony.
The Bolivian Justice ordered this Friday (17/01) the arrest of Evo Morales, after the former president failed to attend for the second time the hearing on the case in which he is accused of rape and trafficking of a teenager during his term in office. .
The Public Ministry, which formally accused Morales of the crime of human trafficking, had already issued an arrest warrant for the former president in October 2024, so that he could be taken to the Public Ministry to testify.
The case gained repercussions during the government of Luis Arce, Morales’ former sponsor and now his political opponent, who confirmed the existence of the investigation against the former president.
This Friday, judge Nelson Rocabado, from the city of Tarija, declared the suspension of the trial until Morales appears. The court also froze the leader’s assets and prohibited him from leaving the country.
The hearing at which the decision was announced was broadcast on the state channel Bolivia TV.
During the session, the judge also declared the leader of the coca growers a “rebel”. “What does this mean? That the trial will be suspended until he appears,” Sandra Gutiérrez, the prosecutor in charge of the case, told the press.
Penalty of up to 15 years in prison
According to the Bolivian Public Ministry, Morales began a relationship with a minor under the age of 15 in 2015, when he was president, and her parents consented to the union in exchange for “benefits”. According to authorities, the teenager had a daughter as a result of the rape.
The investigation accuses the girl’s parents of enrolling her in Morales’ “juvenile custody” “with the sole purpose of political advancement.”
The former president denies the accusations and argues that an investigation into the same facts was closed in 2020.
On that occasion, he was investigated for rape, a crime that involves sexual abuse of a minor between 14 and 18 years of age. This time, the accusation focuses on a case of alleged trafficking, which, according to Gutiérrez, would carry a sentence of “10 to 15 years in prison”.
Morales’ defense claims that he did not attend the deposition for health reasons, presenting reports of pneumonia and respiratory problems. The documents, however, were rejected by the Court, which did not consider them valid reasons to justify the absence.
Originally published by DW on 01/17/2025
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/01/18/justica-ordena-prisao-de-evo-morales-por-trafico-de-menor/
