MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Morales claims his arrest could spark further bloodshed in Bolivia

The former president's followers will start protesting this week until his candidacy is approved

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who has been disqualified from running again for office due to a constitutional cap on mandates, has warned of a potential “armed struggle.” In this regard, he insisted he was resisting arrest to avoid further bloodshed as his supporters marched onto the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) in La Paz.

 Morales claimed that his former ally, President Luis Arce Catacora, claimed to side with the left but nevertheless raided the embassies of Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela to detain him. Bolivian Vice Minister of Citizen Security Roberto Ríos regretted Morales' comments about the Government allegedly targeting foreign missions in violation of “agreements and treaties” in force and denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, Senate Speaker Andrónico Rodríguez, aged 36 and considered to be Morales' political heir, will run for president in the August 2025 elections under the Popular Alliance, with Mariana Prado, a former Morales minister, as his vice-presidential candidate.

The former indigenous leader's followers have threatened nationwide mobilizations starting May 20 if their demands are unmet. They also challenge the constitutional ruling disqualifying Morales and demand the release of detained allies such as Ponciano Santos. Leaders of the so-called Pacto de Unidad Evista, gathered this Sunday in Lauca Ñ, in the Tropic of Cochabamba, formally urged the TSE to proceed with the registration of former president Evo Morales Ayma, as well as candidates for senators, deputies, and supranationals.

“In avoiding my arrest, I avoided deaths, I want you to know. You know, comrades, I was willing to go in with everyone, even if they arrest us,” Morales said in a radio interview while speaking of “repression” on the Government's part.

”The people are rebelling with so much unjust repression (...) Armed struggle, that is what they are leading us to. If there is repression, they are going to prepare to confront“, he pointed out and challenged the Government to ”put in jail more than 3 million“ people.

”This is going to cause a greater uprising and a greater reaction to defend the rights of the people,” he further argued.

Last Friday, the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (TCP) ruled that no one can hold the presidency for more than two terms, either continuously or discontinuously, thus banning Morales from running again.

“We already have Alianza Popular, it is our alliance that will lead us to victory with our official candidate for the Presidency, Andrónico Rodríguez,” Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) leader Mario Cronenbold announced while urging Rodríguez's followers to stage a rally in La Paz on Monday.

Mariana Prado Noya was Minister of Development Planning from January 23, 2017, to November 10, 2019, under Morales.