Supporters of Bolivia's ex-leader Morales clash with police in push to
secure his candidacy
[May 17, 2025]
By PAOLA FLORES
LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of ex-President Evo
Morales marched toward Bolivia's top electoral court on Friday to push
for their leftist leader's candidacy in presidential elections later
this year, a rally that descended into street clashes as police tried to
clear out a group of demonstrators.
The confrontations come in response to a ruling by Bolivia’s
Constitutional Court that blocks Morales, the nation's first Indigenous
president who governed from 2006 until his ouster in 2019, from running
again in Aug. 17 elections.
The turmoil escalates political tensions as Bolivia undergoes its worst
economic crisis in four decades.
As the march arrived in Bolivia’s capital of La Paz, protesters seeking
to register Morales’ candidacy surged toward the Supreme Electoral
Tribunal, chanting, “Comrades, what do we want? For Evo to come back!”
Security forces barricading a road to the court held them back. Police
reported that the clashes between rock-throwing protesters and tear
gas-lobbing police forces injured two officers, a journalist and a local
merchant.
"They're using firecrackers and rocks that are hurting our forces," said
police Commander Juan Russo. “This is not a peaceful march.”
The authorities did not report on any injuries among the protesters, who
were seen being pushed onto the ground, shoved into police cars and
blasted with tear gas. Morales had promised to attend the march Friday
but did not show up.
The court's unanimous decision Wednesday upheld an earlier ruling that
bans presidents from serving more than two terms. Morales has already
served three, and, in 2019, resigned under pressure from the military
and went into exile as protests erupted over his bid for an
unprecedented fourth term.
Morales returned to Bolivia a year later as the 2020 elections vaulted
to power his preferred candidate, President Luis Arce, from his
long-dominant Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party.
Arce, who announced earlier this week that he would not seek
re-election, insisted that the Constitutional Court had disqualified
Morales, his mentor-turned-rival, from running in 2025.
But many experts doubt the legitimacy of that decision in a country
where political conflicts undermine the courts and presidents have
maneuvered to get their allies on the bench.
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A man wearing a mask depicting former President Evo Morales marches
with his cat towards the offices of the Electoral Tribunal in El
Alto, Bolivia, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
“The Constitutional Court issues unconstitutional arbitrary rulings
at the whim of those in power,” said Morales, who himself reaped the
benefits of favorable judges while seeking to run for a fourth
consecutive term in 2017.
After Morales lost a referendum seeking to do away with term limits
while still in power, the Constitutional Court ruled it would be
against Morales’ human rights to stop him from running for another
term.
That 2017 ruling allows Morales to register his candidacy, said
Oscar Hassentoufel, the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
“Then the tribunal will decide whether he's eligible or not.”
In defiance of the latest court ruling, Morales called a mass march
that marshaled his loyal supporters in the rural tropics. They long
have championed the Indigenous coca-grower for transforming the
country during his tenure — redistributing Bolivia’s natural gas
wealth and seeking greater inclusion for its Indigenous majority.
Although he had earlier promised to participate, it appeared that
Morales remained holed up in his stronghold for fear of arrest on
human trafficking charges that he claims are politically motivated.
The government confirmed that fear Friday. “We ask Mr. Morales to
surrender voluntarily,” said Eduardo del Castillo, a key minister in
Arce's government whom the MAS party endorsed for president later
Friday in place of Arce. "If we find him walking the streets, we
will arrest him.”
Instead, scores of his supporters walked the capital's streets on
Friday wearing masks of Morales' face.
“Evo Morales is each and every one of us. If they want to detain Evo
Morales they would need to take every one of us, too,” said David
Ochoa, a representative of the marchers.
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