MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Evo's legal front reaches Argentina

Del Castillo said Bolivia would be attentive to any requirement that might arrive from Buenos Aires

Argentine authorities have filed a criminal complaint against former Bolivian President Evo Morales for the alleged rape and human trafficking of four teenage girls while he was under asylum in the country, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich announced during the weekend. Morales will be prosecuted for allegedly “committing crimes of human trafficking and sexual abuse,” Bullrich explained.

“To the case for abuse of minors that is already open in Bolivia is added something even more aberrant: the socialist Bolivian ex-president is accused of having lived with four teenagers during the political asylum given to him by Kirchnerism,” she added.

“The worst of crimes, on our soil. For that reason, 15 days ago we filed a complaint for alleged commission of crimes of human trafficking and sexual abuse,” the minister also pointed out regarding a legal filing that adds to the previous one by the NGO Apollo Foundation chaired by Buenos Aires lawmaker Yamil Santoro.

“Fifteen days ago we received in the Ministry of Security a complaint from a private individual regarding the conduct of Evo Morales and we prosecuted him, so this complaint has been going around for 15 days. We did not give it any publicity due to the levels of violence that existed at this moment in Bolivia, we thought it was not appropriate, nor did the justice system give it any publicity,” Bulllrich argued.

Morales is said to have co-lived with minors while staying in Argentina between 2019 and 2020. The victims were allegedly brought in from Bolivia to do household work.

Angélica Ponce, a former friend of Morales', said she saw a group of minors fulfilling roles that she described as “servile” in the residence paid for by the government of Alberto Fernández. According to Ponce, the Indigenous leader also received “girls as gifts.” She even mentioned Morales spoke openly about it.

Morales is also under probe in the alleged sexual abuse and trafficking of a 15-year-old girl from Yacuiba, Tarija, who is believed to have traveled repeatedly between Mexico and Argentina with her parents' consent. The Bolivian Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation on Sept. 26 after receiving an intelligence report stating that the former head of state would have committed the crimes of human trafficking and statutory rape with an underage girl with whom he allegedly had a daughter in 2015 when he was still president. The Socialist leader's legal problems are one of the reasons behind the ongoing road blockades and revolts by his followers who demand these cases be dismissed and Evo allowed to run in the 2025 presidential elections despite having exhausted the number of terms anyone can hold as per the Constitution. The Evistas fear an arrest warrant might be issued any time against Morales and have subsequently clashed with Police and taken over three military barracks, holding some 200 troops and many civilians hostage. Last week, Bolivian Prosecutor Sandra Gutiérrez said she had enough “material evidence” to request Morales' detention, but she has not moved forward with it so far.

In this scenario, Bolivia's Government (Interior) Minister Eduardo del Castillo insisted Sunday that the law would be complied with regarding Morales. Hence, President Luis Arce Catacora's administration would be attentive to any requirement that might arrive from Buenos Aires. “If there is a migratory alert and it reaches the General Directorate of Migration it will be the instance that must comply with what the justice system determines, just as the police is complying with the laws, we will comply with the Law and the directorates will comply with the laws,” del Castillo said.

On Friday, Morales went on a hunger strike to persuade Arce to seek dialogue channels to solve the ongoing crisis. During his radio show Sunday, he insisted that the case against him was “a US operation,” which he also described as a “Condor Plan of lawfare.” Morales also thanked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for lending him the two vehicles he uses to move around.