Bolivia prosecutor orders arrest of Morales

LAPAZ

Former Bolivian presient Evo Morales holds a coca plant

Bolivian prosecutors on July 29 issued an arrest warrant for former socialist president Evo Morales, accusing him of fomenting recent protests that paralyzed the country.

Enormous anti-government demonstrations choked the Andean nation in May and June, causing severe fuel, food and medicine shortages in some cities.

The movement started with workers and Indigenous communities voicing their grievances over Bolivia’s worst economic crisis in decades.

But protests escalated to demand the resignation of U.S.-backed President Rodrigo Paz, who has accused Morales of orchestrating the unrest.

July 29’s warrant was related to an investigation into dozens of roadblocks erected during that period, Attorney General Roger Mariaca said.

The probe stemmed from an “armed uprising” and “terrorism” complaint filed by a right-wing conglomerate of civic leaders and businesses against Morales, trade unionist Mario Argollo and Indigenous figure Vicente Salazar.

The president has also accused Morales, who hails from the coca-growing Chapare region, of drug trafficking, without providing evidence.

“They will not intimidate us,” Morales said in reaction to the arrest warrant on X.

“They seek to hold us responsible for the social mobilizations to conceal the true drama in Bolivia: A profound social and economic crisis,” he added.