bolivia outlet reported This weekend, the country's highest court, the Transnational Constitutional Court (TCP), ruled in favor of the Constitution's term limits for public office, with the exception of the former socialist president and his suspects. pedophile Evo Morales will not run for a fifth time in the 2025 election.
Bolivia's constitution came into force in . 2009 At the end of a process led by Mr. Morales and the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS). explicitly stated in the constitution establish The presidential term is five years, and the president or vice president may be re-elected only once. Similar time limits are in place for members. bolivian parliament and other government authority.
Morales ruled Bolivia for four terms from 2006 to 2019, avoiding the two-term limit. Resignation. He ignored constitutional term limits using questionable court procedures and legal methods. loophole – including the controversial ruling that Morales is believed to have forced TCP to issue in 2017. claimed That term limit represents a “violation” of his human rights.
According to a Bolivian newspaper El Debel The TCP's latest ruling declared that term limits for the legislative, executive, and judicial branches follow the rules established by the Constitution, and that, as a result, a president can only serve two terms, whether consecutive or intermittent. There is no possibility of extension to a third term. ”
Bolivia's Supreme Court reportedly justified that reasoning by saying, “The purpose of the Constitution… is to prevent elected authorities from perpetuating their power in any way.” It has been reported. TCP's latest judgment also approved the ruling issued In late 2023, he overturned a controversial 2017 ruling, saying the concept of unlimited presidential re-election was “not a human right.”
The ruling MAS party is currently split into two factions as a result of a long-running power struggle between Morales and his former protégé and socialist current president Luis Arce for control of Bolivia and the party itself. and each is trying to oust the other's leader from power. Party rankings throughout the year.
Despite the Supreme Court ruling and Mr. Morales already exceeding the two-term presidential term limit, the would-be socialist dictator and his followers claimed that On Sunday, he announced that he would run as a MAS candidate in the 2025 elections. Morales too claimed On Sunday, he and his supporters announced they would march to the capital, La Paz, to ask the government to allow them to run next year.
“We are still under a state of emergency and have only declared a recess and will plan to implement the resolution starting Monday, including a march to La Paz. I guarantee you that we will win the fight,” Morales told supporters.
In addition to claiming he ran illegally for a fifth time, Morales is also being investigated for statutory rape and human trafficking, which allegedly took place while he was president.
Local prosecutors found evidence that Morales had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl in 2016 and fathered a child with her. In October, local law enforcement officials reported the presumed victim, Cindy Vargas, as follows: missing with her child. Their whereabouts remain unknown at the time of writing.
To avoid possible arrest as a result of the investigation, Mr. Morales has gone into hiding in central Cochabamba, his political stronghold, under the protection of his supporters. President Morales also ordered his sympathizers to violently blockade Bolivia's main roads, causing widespread shortages and costing Bolivia's economy $2 billion, according to President Arce. The lockdown lasted for 24 days, lifted up last week.
Argentina is also investigating Morales following comments made by Security Minister Patricia Bulllich. accused It was revealed that he lived with four minors during his stay in Argentina. After voluntarily resigning in 2019 amid widespread protests against his fraudulent “victory” in that year's elections, Morales was granted refugee status by the government of former socialist president Alberto Fernández and was granted refugee status until 2020. Lived in Argentina for a while.
A statement said to have been released in October by Angelica Ponce, who was once close to Mr. Morales, revealed that the children were said to have lived together in the house where Mr. Morales was staying in Argentina. There is. Ponce said the minors appeared to have acted as “chief of staff” and even “maids,” something the former socialist president's visitors knew but “didn't talk about.” It is said that he chose to do so. President Javier Millay canceled Morales' refugee status in Argentina.
Vargas' case is the only active case being investigated by Bolivian prosecutors. El Debel reported On Monday, it was revealed that at least 20 other child abuse charges had been filed against Evo Morales.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
