MAS/evo: Human trafficking | Trata y tráfico

By Brujula Digital:

Human trafficking case: they arrest the father of the young woman who allegedly had a child with Morales when she was a minor

The information was provided by the general commander of the Bolivian Police, Álvaro Álvarez, who indicated that the arrest warrant against Evo Morales has not yet been issued.

The commander of the Bolivian Police, Álvaro Álvarez, in an archive photograph. Photo: ABI

The general commander of the Bolivian Police, Álvaro Álvarez, reported on Friday morning that the father of the young woman who allegedly had a child with Evo Morales when she was 16 years old has been arrested.

“Yesterday, there was a movement, an arrest (of) the father in Yacuiba,” Álvarez told the press.

The arrest is part of the human trafficking case in which Morales and the young woman’s parents are accused.

Accusations Against Evo Morales and the Young Woman’s Parents

The accusation states that in 2015, the then-president had a relationship with a 15-year-old girl who allegedly became pregnant. The accusation adds that she gave birth to a baby girl the following year, whose father, according to a birth certificate issued in Yacuiba, is Morales.

The young woman’s parents are also accused of the crime, as they allegedly profited from their daughter by facilitating her contact with the former president in exchange for various benefits.

Morales was supposed to give his statement on this case in Tarija on Thursday; however, he did not show up.

Arrest Warrant for Morales

Tarija’s departmental prosecutor, Sandra Gutiérrez, reported that she would issue an arrest warrant against the former president so that he can give his statement.

The Police commander reported that the arrest warrant has not yet been received.

“We first need to have the arrest warrant issued by the competent authority, and from there we will carry out the necessary operations,” he added.

Regarding the threats from pro-Morales groups to launch an indefinite national road blockade if Morales is arrested, he stated that “we are all subject to the law.”

“The Bolivian Police will only fulfill its constitutional role, and we have been doing so up until now,” said the commander.

Defense Arguments for Evo Morales

The defense of the former president, led by lawyer Jorge Pérez, argued that there were two reasons preventing Morales from giving his statement in Tarija: one legal and one logistical.

According to Pérez, the legal reason is based on a constitutional ruling that orders the case to be transferred to Cochabamba.

The logistical issue is due to the heavy police presence deployed for the statement, which was supposed to be given at the Lourdes Integrated Police Station and not at the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

BD/AGT/JA

Leave a comment