A Bolivian court has issued an arrest warrant for former president Evo Morales, accusing him of statutory rape and human trafficking.
The allegations claim that Morales fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl in 2016, during his presidency. It is reported that the girl's parents consented to the relationship in exchange for unspecified political favors.
Morales, who resigned amid controversy over disputed election results, has dismissed these accusations as politically motivated.
He argues that they are part of a campaign by his opponents to discredit him. "The traitor government has unleashed a judicial war," Morales stated, suggesting that the current administration is attempting to dismantle his popular movement.
The case has been expanded to include charges of human trafficking and smuggling, based on suspicions that the girl's parents enrolled her in Morales' youth wing for personal and political gain.
Morales' lawyer has labeled the investigation "illegal," noting that a similar probe in 2020 was closed due to lack of evidence.
The victim's parents have also failed to testify and face arrest. In Bolivia, statutory rape is considered a private crime, only investigated upon a complaint from the victim or her parents. Morales insists that these allegations are fabricated by the government of his rival, President Luis Arce, to undermine his political influence.
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