Bolivia court bars former leader Evo Morales from running for office

The ruling prevents nan country’s first Indigenous president from contesting elections scheduled successful August 2025.

Bolivia’s law tribunal has barred former President Evo Morales from moving again for elected office, preventing him from contesting adjacent year’s statesmanlike election.

The ruling, made nationalist connected Friday, besides reaffirms a 2023 tribunal bid that a president cannot service much than 2 terms, whether consecutive aliases not, and “without nan anticipation of extending it to a 3rd term”.

Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, Morales led nan state from 2006 to 2019 and was highly celebrated until he tried to bypass nan constitution and activity a 4th term.

The leftist won that vote but was forced to resign successful 2019 amid deadly protests complete alleged predetermination fraud and fled nan country.

He returned aft his erstwhile state Luis Arce won nan presidency successful 2020. But since then, nan 2 men person struggled for power complete nan governing party, Movement Toward Socialism (MAS).

The law court’s ruling came successful consequence to a parliamentarian’s petition to explain doubts astir its December 2023 decision.

It besides comes astir a period into protests by Morales’s supporters, who person blocked roads, taken soldiers hostage and called for Arce to resign.

The protests began connected October 14 aft prosecutors charged Morales pinch statutory rape complete his alleged narration pinch a 15-year-old woman while successful office.

Morales has denied nan allegations, saying they were brought by Arce’s authorities to forestall him from making a governmental comeback.

Political tensions person further intensified successful caller weeks aft Morales accused nan government of attempted assassination successful precocious October.

In response, nan Arce management accused Morales of staging an effort connected his ain life, saying nan shots fired astatine his car came aft he tried to tally a constabulary checkpoint.

The 65-year-old erstwhile president has not yet commented connected nan latest tribunal decision.

But his lawyer, Orlando Ceballos, called nan determination politically motivated and an effort to “disqualify” Morales.

Bolivia will clasp its adjacent statesmanlike predetermination successful August 2025.

“Without a uncertainty this ushers successful a caller era of authorities successful Bolivia,” guidance legislator Marcelo Pedrazas told journalists connected Friday aft nan determination was issued.

“In 2025, we’ll person an predetermination without Evo Morales connected nan ballot.”

On Friday, legislators loyal to Morales caused chaos successful Congress, shouting and throwing flowers earlier Arce’s planned yearly reside and forcing him to present his reside from nan statesmanlike palace.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies