Bolivian Leaders Call for Investigation into Evo Morales’ Whereabouts

This week, community leaders in Bolivia urged the federal government to look into claims made by an opposition lawmaker regarding former Socialist Party president Evo Morales. Morales, who has faced serious accusations, including pedophilia, has reportedly been living in hiding in Cochabamba for several months, but the lawmaker alleges he has escaped to Mexico.

Congressman Edgar Zegarra Bernal stated, “Evo Morales is no longer in Bolivia, he is in Mexico,” a remark he made to local media on Monday. Zegarra, who opposes the current centrist administration led by President Rodrigo Paz, criticized the government for not taking more action to detain Morales amid various criminal charges he faces.

He questioned, “Why haven’t they executed the arrest warrant for Evo Morales yet? Why not? … Isn’t the Emperor subject to the law?” Though he made bold assertions, Zegarra did not provide any evidence to back up his claims of Morales’ flight, and when pressed on the source of his information, he simply replied, “We’ll see.”

The situation has sparked demands from community groups for the government to track down Morales, whose whereabouts remain unclear. Roberto Menacho, a former leader of the Fejube Sur community organization, commented to local media, “If Evo Morales left the country, we are asking him to clarify the situation. The government minister must step forward and address the people of Bolivia. If he has indeed left, it damages their credibility with us.”

Menacho also expressed disappointment in the authorities’ inability to manage the movement of former officials. “We want Mr. Evo Morales to stay in this country. He has unfinished business with the Bolivian judiciary. He once said, ‘He who can run away and make a mockery of justice is a confessed criminal.’ Mr. Morales needs to confirm his situation,” he added.

Morales, who founded the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party, was in power from 2006 until 2019. His governance saw strong support for coca leaf production and ties with leftist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela, alongside efforts to suppress political opposition. In 2019, following a controversial bid to prolong his presidency, the Organization of American States (OAS) reported evidence of potential electoral fraud during that year’s elections, which led to Morales and his associates fleeing to Mexico for safety.

Mexico, under previous President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, granted Morales political asylum as Bolivia initiated criminal proceedings against him. In the aftermath of Morales’ departure, the Bolivian government unveiled evidence suggesting he had fathered a child who was only 15 years old, as well as videos showing him directing leftist unions to withhold food supplies, aiming to incite starvation to destabilize the Bolivian government. Consequently, Bolivia requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Morales for alleged crimes against humanity.

After assuming the presidency in 2020, Luis Arce worked to manage the unrest and imprisoned former President Jeanine Áñez for her constitutional actions following Morales’ departure. Morales returned to Bolivia, but his attempts to manage the MAS party resulted in internal discord, leading to Arce’s decision not to seek re-election. Eventually, Morales was ejected from the party he established and prohibited from contesting for president again.

In recent months, Morales has been in hiding in Cochabamba, which is a region known for coca cultivation. As tensions rose with President Rodrigo Paz’s decision to allow resumed operations of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Morales’ protection from the coca growers’ union seemed to diminish. Reports began to circulate that even they were struggling to keep track of him. Previously, he had been active on social media but stopped posting in early January, coinciding with DEA helicopter activity over Cochabamba.

In a post on his Twitter account, Morales accused the DEA of fabricating drug trafficking evidence. Despite rumors of his departure, leftist trade union leader Isidro Auca announced last week that Morales was still in Bolivia and would soon reappear. “They say the Evo brothers went to another country, but they are here in Bolivia,” Auca insisted, asserting that Morales had no plans to leave and remained loyal to his people. Auca also mentioned that Morales reportedly had some health issues amidst concerns he might be suffering from dengue fever.