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A Bolivian court began oral proceedings on Monday against former president Evo Morales for the crime of aggravated human trafficking, accused of having maintained a relationship with a minor with whom he allegedly had a daughter while serving as president, according to a report by EFE.
The proceedings are taking place in the southern city of Tarija, before the Criminal, Anti-Corruption, and Against Violence towards Women Court, with a hearing scheduled for 08:20 local time (12:20 GMT), although the former president did not attend.
His defense announced that he would not attend, arguing that he was not notified according to the procedure for personal notification. "We cannot attend because we do not know what it is about. Brother Evo Morales has not been notified following the procedure for personal notification," stated lawyer Wilfredo Chávez.
The president of the Departmental Court of Justice of Tarija, Luis Esteban Ortiz, confirmed on Friday that notifications were made through press edicts and that all formalities were fulfilled. “The respective communications have been made, not only to the former president but also to a second person who is being investigated in this case,” he noted.
The arrest warrant against Morales for alleged trafficking was issued in October 2024. According to the accusation, the minor —identified as Cindy S.V.P.— was between 14 and 15 years old when she allegedly began a relationship with the then president, who was about 57 years old, through the so-called "Youth Guard" or "Evo Generation," a group of young people created by Morales. Their daughter was born on February 8, 2016, and the birth certificate records Juan Evo Morales Ayma as the father.
The Tarija Prosecutor's Office gathered more than 170 pieces of evidence for the oral trial. In addition to Morales, there is a second female defendant in the case.
Morales remains holed up in the Tropic of Cochabamba, his political and union stronghold, since October 2024, when his supporters blocked roads for 24 days to prevent the Police from carrying out the arrest warrant. The warrant is still in effect.
In January 2025, a judge declared Morales to be in contempt of court after he failed to appear on two occasions at precautionary measure hearings, citing illness. As a result, he was subjected to restrictions on movement, freezing of bank accounts, and asset registration.
His defense characterized the process as a "political persecution that arises at a time of deplorable conditions in the country, particularly at the economic level, and conflicts on the streets," and argued that "there is an intention to divert attention" from the recent labor protests.
Morales himself denied the accusations on his social media days before the trial began. "Since they can't find anything" to prosecute him for other charges, "they make up crimes," he wrote. He also added: "I am not seeking impunity. I want my accusers to prove —with legal and real evidence— the alleged crimes I committed. I call for fair, honest, objective, and independent justice from political power."
The case is set against a backdrop of deep political division in Bolivia. The justice system disqualified Morales' candidacy for the presidential elections in August 2025, determining that he has already served two terms. Additionally, last March, the bust of Morales was removed from the Bolivian Parliament to avoid what legislators described as a "cult of personality."
Morales governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019 and resigned amid a democratic crisis following allegations of electoral fraud, fleeing to Mexico before returning to the country in 2020.
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