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A Bolivian court began the oral trial against former president Evo Morales on Monday for the aggravated crime of human trafficking, accused of having maintained a relationship with a minor with whom he allegedly had a daughter while serving as president, according to EFE agency reported.
The hearing takes place in the southern city of Tarija, before the Criminal Sentencing, Anti-Corruption, and Against Violence towards Women Court, with the session scheduled for 8:20 AM local time (12:20 PM GMT), although the former president did not appear.
His defense announced that they would not attend, claiming that they were 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 a personal notification," declared lawyer Wilfredo Chávez.
The president of the Tarija Departmental Court of Justice, Luis Esteban Ortiz, confirmed on Friday that notifications were made through press edicts and that all formalities were fulfilled. "The respective communications have been carried out, not only to the former president but also to a second person who is being investigated in this case," he stated.
The arrest warrant against Morales for alleged human 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 her 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. The daughter of both was born on February 8, 2016, and the birth certificate lists Juan Evo Morales Ayma as the father.
The Tarija Prosecutor's Office gathered more than 170 pieces of incriminating evidence for the oral trial. In addition to Morales, there is a second female defendant in the proceedings.
Morales remains holed up in the Tropic of Cochabamba, his political and labor stronghold, since October 2024, when his followers 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 in rebellion after he failed to appear on two occasions for precautionary measure hearings, citing illness. As a result, restrictions were imposed on him, including a travel ban, freezing of bank accounts, and registration of assets.
His defense described the process as a "political persecution that arises at a time when deplorable conditions exist in the country, especially in terms of the economy, 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 charge him with regarding other accusations, "they invent 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 ask for impartial, honest, objective, and politically independent justice."
The case takes place in a context of deep political fracture 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 prevent what lawmakers described as a "cult of personality."
Morales governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019 and resigned amid a democratic crisis after allegations of electoral fraud, fleeing to Mexico before returning to the country in 2020.
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