La Paz: Bolivia’s constitutional court has ruled to bar former President Evo Morales from running for political office again, marking a significant development in the country’s ongoing political crisis. Morales, who served as president from 2006 to 2019, had been seeking the candidacy for his MAS party alongside his former protégé-turned-rival, President Luis Arce.
The court’s decision, made public on Friday, reinforces that Bolivian presidents are limited to two terms in office, whether consecutive or non-consecutive. Morales had already served two terms when a court ruling allowed him to run for a third term after a constitutional rewrite. His bid for a fourth term in the 2019 elections ended in controversy, with disputed results leading to his departure from the country and ensuing unrest. In 2020, Arce was elected president.
“Without a doubt, this ushers in a new era of politics in Bolivia,” opposition lawmaker Marcelo Pedrazas told reporters on Friday. “In 2025, we’ll have an election without Evo Morales on the ballot.”
Morales’ lawyer, Orlando Ceballos, criticized the ruling as politically motivated. “What are they trying to do? To get rid of MAS, to disqualify Evo, that’s the point,” Ceballos said in a radio interview. He added that they would appeal the decision to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Also Read | Fitch Sees Brighter Future for Spain, Lifts Outlook to ‘Positive’
The political rift between Morales and Arce has deepened in recent weeks, with Morales’ supporters blocking roads to disrupt commerce and raiding military bases. Morales has called for peaceful negotiations with the government but recently went on a nearly week-long hunger strike in protest of what he claims is political persecution by Arce’s administration.
Also Read | Thousands Impacted as ChatGPT Experiences Brief Outage, Now Resolved
On Friday, Morales’ loyalists created turmoil in Congress, shouting and throwing flowers at the vice president before Arce’s annual address, forcing him to deliver his speech from the presidential palace instead.
