LAUCA Ñ, Bolivia (AP) – Former President Evo Morales, Bolivia's charismatic and long-serving leader, spoke to The Associated Press from his tropical stronghold in Chapare on Saturday, expressing uncertainty about how to react to threats of arrest from right-wing presidential candidates should they win the upcoming election. Morales, who has been living under the protection of loyal supporters for several months, reiterated his call for voters to deface their ballots in defiance of the elections, from which he has been barred by a controversial constitutional court ruling.
Morales, 65, mentioned, "What are we going to do? Not even I know," when questioned about his potential response if either multimillionaire businessman Samuel Doria Medina or former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, the frontrunners, were to win and carry out their threats against him. He emphasized that he currently feels targeted, stating, "I am in the crosshairs of the right-wing empire."
The former president is facing serious allegations, including charges of human trafficking for allegedly impregnating a 15-year-old girl during his presidency. While he has not explicitly denied the accusations, he has labeled them as politically motivated. A judge has issued an arrest order for him following a power struggle between Morales and his former finance minister, President Luis Arce, regarding control of their long-dominant Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) Party.
The internal conflict has caused a significant rift within the MAS party, particularly amid Bolivia's worst economic crisis in nearly four decades. This turmoil has handed the right-wing opposition their most substantial opportunity to succeed at the polls since Morales took office in 2006.
In his interview, Morales characterized the current election as lacking legality and legitimacy, claiming it does not represent the Indigenous or popular movements. He described the act of casting a nulled vote as more than just a gesture of support for the MAS party; it represents a form of protest and anger among voters. He targeted Doria Medina and Quiroga, dismissing them as "eternal losers" after multiple failed presidential bids against him.
Amid widespread voter disillusionment, Morales expressed confidence that the election would yield an unusually high number of invalid votes, prophesying, "No one is going to win. It will be the spoiled vote, which is Evo's vote," referring to himself in the third person. He anticipates that many voters will choose to express their frustration through this method as dissatisfaction with the available candidates continues to grow.
As the election date approaches, Morales remains a significant figure within Bolivia's political landscape, embodying both support and controversy. His actions and statements resonate deeply among his supporters in Chapare, where he continues to assert his influence despite the legal and political challenges he faces.
