MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia's Constitutional Court rules Evo may never run again for president

The case of Evo Morales running again for office is closed “forever and for life”

Bolivia's Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (TCP) ruled Friday once again that former President Juan Evo Morales Ayma is banned from running again for such an office, given the number of terms already served. The TCP thus insisted that no elected authority can seek a third term after having been reelected consecutively or otherwise.

 “Those who have exercised two continuous or discontinuous mandates previously, no longer have any possibility of running again or exercising the same position at any time or under any possible circumstances,” the TCP found in response to a request filed by Creemos Congressman José Carlos Gutiérrez regarding sentence 1010/2023, which in its considerations states that one may only run for reelection once, either continuously or discontinuously.

Per Friday's Constitutional Clarifying Order, authorities of the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary may only serve for two terms, “whether continuous or discontinuous, without the possibility of extending to a third term.” The measure seeks to prevent anyone individual from staying over 10 years in office.

Hence, in addition to Morales, the ruling states “no elected authority, who has passed two previous candidacies, will be able to run and even less to exercise the positions of Vice President, Vice President of the State and President of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, President of the Chamber of Senators or of Deputies.”

With this Constitutional Order issued by Justices Yván Espada and Gonzalo Hurtado, the case of Evo Morales to run for office is closed “forever and for life.” Evista groups have been blocking roads causing havoc and supply shortages to defend Morales' opportunity to enter the 2025 presidential race.

Earlier this week, Morales lifted a hunger strike in demand of clearances in the opposite direction. The ambitions of the indigenist leader are also linked to a series of criiminal charges against him for rape and human trafficking.