A Bolivian court bans former leader Evo Morales from running for office Political Affairs

This decision prevents the country’s first Indigenous president from contesting the elections scheduled for August 2025.

Bolivia’s constitutional court has barred former President Evo Morales from running again, preventing him from running in next year’s presidential election.

The decision, made public on Friday, reaffirms the court order of 2023 that the president cannot serve more than two terms, consecutive or not, and “unless he adds a third term”.

The first Indigenous president of Bolivia, Morales led the country from 2006 to 2019 and was so popular that he tried to override the constitution and seek a fourth term.

The leftist won that vote but was forced to resign in 2019 amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud and fled the country.

He returned after his former colleague Luis Arce won the presidency in 2020. But since then, the two men have struggled to control the ruling party, the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS).

The constitutional court’s decision came after a request by a member of parliament to clarify doubts about its December 2023 decision.

It also happened within a month that there were demonstrations by Morales’ supporters, who blocked the roads, kidnapped soldiers and demanded that Arce resign.

The protests began on October 14 after prosecutors charged Morales with statutory rape over his alleged relationship with a 15-year-old girl while in office.

Morales dismissed these allegations, saying they were brought by Arce’s government to prevent him from returning to politics.

Political tensions have flared again in recent weeks after Morales accused the government of an assassination attempt in late October.

In response, Arce officials accused Morales of attempting to kill himself, saying the gunshots fired from his car came after he tried to check on the police.

The former president, 65, has not yet commented on the recent court decision.

But his lawyer, Orlando Ceballos, called the decision a political stunt and an attempt to “remove” Morales.

Bolivia will hold its next presidential election in August 2025.

“Without a doubt this is creating a new political era in Bolivia,” opposition lawmaker Marcelo Pedrazas told reporters on Friday after the ruling.

“In 2025, we will have an election without Evo Morales on the ballot.”

On Friday, legislators loyal to Morales caused chaos in Congress, shouting and throwing flowers before Arce’s annual speech and forcing him to deliver his speech at the presidential palace.