Bolivia's court blocks Evo Morales from election
Bolivia's Constitutional Court has ruled that former President Evo Morales cannot run for office again, marking a significant shift in the country's political landscape. The decision upholds that presidents are limited to two terms, whether consecutive or non-consecutive, effectively blocking Morales from participating in the 2025 presidential election.
Morales, Bolivia's first Indigenous president who led the country from 2006 to 2019, had been seeking the candidacy of his Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party, competing with current President Luis Arce, his former ally turned rival. The ruling comes amid escalating tensions between the two political figures.
The decision follows weeks of protests by Morales supporters, who have blocked roads and seized military bases. These demonstrations began after prosecutors charged Morales with statutory rape over alleged relations with a minor during his presidency, charges he denies and claims are politically motivated.
Recent events have further strained relations, with Morales accusing the government of an assassination attempt, while the Arce administration countered that Morales staged the incident himself after running a police checkpoint.
The political crisis peaked when pro-Morales legislators disrupted Congress during Arce's planned yearly address, forcing him to deliver his speech from the presidential palace instead.
Morales's lawyer, Orlando Ceballos, denounced the court's decision as politically motivated, while opposition legislator Marcelo Pedrazas celebrated it as the beginning of a new political era in Bolivia. The ruling effectively ensures that the 2025 presidential election will be the first in recent history without Morales's name on the ballot.
Morales initially fled Bolivia in 2019 amid protests over disputed election results but returned after Arce's victory in 2020. Since then, both leaders have struggled for control over the MAS party.
