Morales vows no surrender in bid to reclaim Bolivian presidency

Bolivia's ex-president Evo Morales has told AFP helium volition not backmost down successful his bid to regain power, contempt being dogged by allegations of abusing a insignificant and being constitutionally barred from seeking a 4th term.

In an interrogation successful his cardinal Bolivian stronghold of Cochabamba, a defiant Morales, 65, said helium did not judge a tribunal ruling precluding him from making a comeback.

Morales, Bolivia's archetypal Indigenous president who was successful bureau from 2006 to 2019, had been successful hiding since October erstwhile a tribunal issued a warrant for his apprehension implicit an alleged narration with a 15-year-old miss portion helium was president.

On Wednesday, a justice successful the eastbound metropolis of Santa Cruz ordered that the charges beryllium dropped, ruling that a erstwhile probe had already cleared Morales of wrongdoing. The apprehension warrant was besides scrapped.

"Justice has arrived," Morales said connected X.

The president of Bolivia's judicial council, Manuel Baptista, instantly launched a reappraisal of the court's decision, but Morales's lawyer Jorge Perez said his client's "constitutional rights person been restored" and helium could question anew.

Before the ruling, Morales was already readying a travel to La Paz adjacent period to registry his candidacy for statesmanlike elections successful August.

"It's going to beryllium a large convoy (of supporters)," helium told AFP astatine the office of the country's almighty coca growers' union, which helium erstwhile led, successful the cardinal municipality of Lauca Ene.

- No victim, 'no crime' -

Prosecutors had accused Morales of fathering a girl with a insignificant successful 2015, and said her parents consented to the narration successful instrumentality for favors.

Despite his whereabouts being wide known, constabulary ne'er attempted to seizure the erstwhile coca farmer, who was guarded astir the timepiece by dozens of Indigenous supporters equipped with spears.

"Without a victim, determination is nary crime. Neither the young miss nor her relatives person filed a complaint," Morales told AFP successful the interrogation conducted earlier the charges were dropped.

He claims the lawsuit against him was portion of a crippled by erstwhile ally-turned-rival President Luis Arce to support him from returning to power.

In October, Morales accused authorities agents of trying to termination him, sharing a video online that showed him travelling successful a motortruck that had been raked with gunfire.

On Monday, the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) enactment -- which Morales led for 26 years -- nominated Arce arsenic its electoral candidate.

Morales has not said nether which enactment banner helium volition run.

- Large pursuing -

Known to Bolivians simply arsenic "Evo," Morales roseate from dire poorness to go a crusading left-wing president who oversaw a decennary of beardown economical maturation and melodramatic poorness reduction.

He retains a ample pursuing successful the South American country, peculiarly among Indigenous communities.

But his refusal to springiness up powerfulness successful 2019, aft 3 presumption successful office, led to a tumultuous exit that tainted his legacy.

Since then, the Constitutional Court has upheld Bolivia's law two-term limit, which Morales had antecedently managed to evade.

Morales rejects the validity of that ruling.

"There is nary ineligible statement to disqualify me," helium insisted.

Visitors to Lauca Ene person to walk done respective checkpoints erected by Morales's guards, and person their bags searched.

Despite being a wanted man, Morales himself travelled freely successful the wider Cochabamba section implicit the past 7 months, according to sources adjacent to him.

While Morales faces an uphill conflict to retake the presidency, Arce is struggling too, with sentiment polls showing him failing to triumph reelection owed to a terrible economical crisis.

Acute shortages of overseas currency, fuel, medicine and nutrient person caused prices to rocket, prompting galore protests.

"Lucho Arce volition spell down arsenic 1 of the worst presidents successful our antiauthoritarian history," Morales claimed, calling the president by his nickname.

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