La Paz, Bolivia
AP
–
Hundreds of supporters of President Evo Morales marched towards Bolivian top election courts on Friday, pushing for a left-wing leader’s candidacy in the presidential election later this year.
The conflict came in response to a ruling by the Bolivian Constitutional Court to stop Morales, the nation’s first indigenous president, running again in the August 17 election, from 2006 to 2019 expulsion.
Confusion escalates political tensions as Bolivia experiences its worst economic crisis in 40 years.
When the march arrived in Bolivia’s La Paz capital, protesters attempting to register Morales’ candidacy surged towards the highest election court, saying, “Comrade, what do you want? Evo is back!”
Security forces barricaded their way to court blocked them. Police reported that two officers, a journalist and a local merchant, were injured in a clash between a rock-throwing protester and a police robbing tear gas.
“They use firecrackers and rocks that are hurting our troops,” said police commander Juan Russo. “This is not a peaceful march.”
Authorities did not report injuries among protesters who were seen being pushed into the ground, shoved into a police vehicle and blown up with tear gas. Morales had promised to attend on a Friday in March, but did not show up.
The unanimous court decision on Wednesday upheld an earlier ruling banning the president from serving more than one term. Morales has already served three, and in 2019 he resigned under military pressure and was in exile after protests erupted in an unprecedented fourth term bid.
Morales returned to Bolivia as the 2020 election prevented his favorite candidate, President Lewis Earth, from supplying power from his longtime socialism, or his long-standing moves to the party.
Arce, who announced earlier this week that he would not seek reelection, claimed that the Constitutional Court disqualified his leadership rival Morales from the 2025 run.
However, many experts doubt the legitimacy of that decision in the country where political disputes piloted the courts and the president to put their allies on the bench.
“The Constitutional Court issues unconstitutional arbitrary rulings at the whims of those in power,” Morales said.
After losing a referendum trying to abolish the time limit while Morales was still in power, the Constitutional Court decided that stopping him from running for another term would be against Morales’ human rights.
The 2017 ruling allowed Morales to register his candidacy, said Oscar Hasentufell, president of the Supreme Election Court. “The court then decides whether he is eligible.”
Contrary to the latest court ruling, Morales called for a massive marching his loyal supporters in the countryside tropics. They have long defended indigenous coca growers to transform the country during his tenure – redistribute Bolivian natural gas wealth and seek more inclusion in the majority of its indigenous peoples.
Although he had previously promised to take part, Morales appeared to remain holed up in his base for fear of being arrested on trafficking charges he claims to be politically motivated.
The government confirmed the fears on Friday. “I ask Mr. Morales to surrender voluntarily,” said Eduardo del Castillo, the ARCE government’s leading minister, that the Mass party approved the president on Friday. “If we find him walking down the street, we’ll arrest him.”
Instead, his supporter scores walked the streets of the capital on Friday wearing a Morales face mask.
“Evo Morales is each of us. If they want to detain Evo Morales, they will need to take us all together,” said Marchers president David Ochoa.
