Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
A top court in Bolivia has barred the country’s former president from running for office again.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Tensions between Bolivian President Luis Arce and former President Evo Morales have escalated dramatically over the past year, driven by a power struggle within their Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party and differing visions for Bolivia’s future. Once allies, Arce and Morales are now in a battle for the country, with Morales, who was once Arce’s mentor, positioning himself as an opposition leader for the 2025 elections. Morales has accused Arce of corruption, abandoning MAS principles, and leveraging his office to launch investigations aimed at blocking Morales’ return to power. Meanwhile, Arce’s administration argues Morales is destabilizing Bolivia, citing recent highway blockades causing significant food and fuel shortages, a “staged” assassination attempt, and the recent kidnapping of Bolivian military personnel. The division peaked earlier this year with an attempted coup by a top general of the country, where the government suggested Morales may have played a role—an allegation Morales denies.
What’s going on now: On Friday, Bolivia’s constitutional court ruled that former President Evo Morales is ineligible to run for office again, noting the constitutional limit of two presidential terms, whether consecutive or not. This ruling explicitly bars Morales from appearing on the ballot in future elections, including the upcoming 2025 presidential race. Morales, who initially served two terms but continued in office due to a 2014 ruling that reset his term count following a constitutional rewrite, had sought to bypass these restrictions.
Lawmaker responds: In a statement, opposition lawmaker Marcelo Pedrazas said, “Without a doubt, this usher in a new era of politics in Bolivia. In 2025, we’ll have an election without Evo Morales on the ballot.”
Morales’ lawyer comments: In a statement, Orlando Ceballos accused the court of being politically biased. He said, “What are they trying to do? To get rid of MAS, to disqualify Evo, that’s the point,” According to Ceballos, their fight would continue, and they would take their arguments to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
