A Bolivian judge has ordered the arrest of former president Evo Morales over allegations of a relationship with a 15-year-old girl during his presidency, escalating political tensions in Bolivia. Morales, 65, skipped a pretrial detention hearing for a second time, prompting the judge in Tarija to issue the arrest warrant, freeze his assets, and ban him from leaving the country.

Morales criticized the decision, accusing President Luis Arce’s government of using the judiciary to politically persecute him and block his 2025 presidential bid. The charges stem from claims that the girl’s parents enrolled her in Morales’s political youth guard to gain political benefits. Prosecutors have charged Morales with trafficking, which carries a potential 10–15-year prison sentence.

While Morales’s supporters have protested the investigation, blocking roads and causing shortages in his strongholds, his lawyers argue the case is politically motivated and lacks a victim’s direct accusation. Morales has denied involvement in trafficking and claims the allegations were previously dismissed in 2020 due to insufficient evidence.

Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, served nearly 14 years in office before a disputed election in 2019 led to his resignation and temporary exile. Despite being barred from seeking a third term, he remains a key figure in Bolivian politics and aims to secure the MAS party nomination for the 2025 elections.