Arrest warrant reissued for Bolivia ex-president Morales accused of defilement
The former socialist leader, who governed from 2006 to 2019, rejects the accusations.Morales did not attend the scheduled start of his trial on Monday in the southern city of Tarija, forcing the proceedings to be suspended.
Bolivia's then President (2006-2019) Evo Morales speaks during a press conference at the Casa Grande del Pueblo in La Paz on October 23, 2019. The trial against Morales, accused of human trafficking, began on May 11, 2026 in his absence in Tarija, southern Bolivia. (Credit: AFP)
TARIJA - A Bolivian court on Monday reissued a warrant for the arrest of former president Evo Morales on charges of trafficking a minor after he failed to show up for the start of his trial.
Bolivia's first Indigenous president is accused of fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office.
The parents of the teen are accused of consenting to the relationship in exchange for favors from Morales.
The former socialist leader, who governed from 2006 to 2019, rejects the accusations.
Morales did not attend the scheduled start of his trial on Monday in the southern city of Tarija, forcing the proceedings to be suspended.
The Public Prosecutor's Office said Morales's "unjustified absence" confirmed his fugitive status and reissued a warrant for his arrest.
He has been hiding from the law in his central coca-growing stronghold of Chapare since late 2024, guarded by Indigenous supporters who have promised to resist any attempt to capture him.
Authorities first issued an arrest warrant for Morales in this case in October 2024.
Morales was already declared in contempt of court in January 2025, when he did not show for a pretrial detention hearing.
Wilfredo Chavez, one of his lawyers, told AFP on Friday that neither Morales nor his lawyers would show up in court as they had not been "properly notified."
The lawyer said the court did not send the summons to Morales' address but instead served it through an edict.
Morales, who rose from dire poverty to become one of Latin America's longest-serving leaders, has slammed those "that persecute me and condemn me in record time."
His refusal to give up power in 2019 after three terms led to a tumultuous exit that cast a shadow over nearly 14 years of economic progress and poverty reduction.
Forced to resign after elections tainted by fraud, he slipped away into exile in Mexico and later Argentina but returned home a year later.
He failed to make a comeback last year after being barred from seeking a fourth term in presidential elections.