Supporters of former Bolivian president Evo Morales have threatened to paralyze the country in response to a prosecutor's announcement regarding a potential arrest.
Clashes between Morales's followers and police erupted after the prosecutor indicated she would issue an arrest warrant following Morales's failure to attend a hearing concerning allegations against him.
Morales, who served as president from 2006 to 2019, is under investigation for alleged statutory rape and human trafficking, charges he denies. These allegations have resurfaced as Morales prepares to run in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for next year.
The prosecutor's announcement came after Morales's absence from a hearing last week, raising tensions in Bolivia, where supporters of Morales and current president Luis Arce have clashed in recent months. Both politicians belong to the governing MAS party and are competing for the party's nomination for the presidential election set for August 2025.
Violence erupted three weeks ago in the city of El Alto between rival groups of supporters. The ongoing investigation into Morales has exacerbated the already volatile situation.
On Monday, Morales's supporters established blockades on two major roads, which police attempted to dismantle, resulting in at least 12 arrests and one police officer injured. Morales's followers have vowed to maintain the blockades indefinitely and threaten to extend them to major roads nationwide if he is arrested.
The allegations against Morales are not new; a criminal complaint was filed against him in 2020, accusing him of rape and human trafficking linked to alleged sexual encounters with a minor in 2015.
Morales contends that the accusations are part of a right-wing vendetta orchestrated by the interim president who succeeded him after his resignation in 2019 amid vote-rigging allegations.
After returning to Bolivia in November 2020, following the inauguration of Luis Arce, the relationship between Morales and Arce has deteriorated, with both announcing intentions to run for the MAS party's candidacy in the 2025 elections.
Both politicians have mobilized loyal supporters, leading to street confrontations as tensions rise. On Thursday, prosecutor Sandra Gutiérrez confirmed that an arrest warrant for Morales would be issued due to his nonappearance at the hearing.
While the police chief stated that he had not yet received orders to detain Morales, he emphasized that he would act on any arrest order received.