The Limit of Immorality | evo | El límite de la inmoralidad

By Carlos Toranzo, Brujula Digital:

It seems that Evo Morales has reached the threshold of immorality, and his crimes should now be judged. We say this cautiously, in the realm of possibility, because given the way Bolivian justice operates and the political entanglements within public administration, his crimes could still go unpunished.

Analyzing it abstractly, anyone committing statutory rape is guilty of a criminal offense and should be imprisoned; those involved in human trafficking, particularly of girls for sexual purposes, should also face justice and incarceration. A person with a history of pedophilia should, at the very least, face moral condemnation. For more than a decade, Bolivia knew this was happening with the “Jefazo.” Why wasn’t the issue openly discussed, or why were only a few voices denouncing these crimes? Simply because the caudillo held power, and anyone who accused him risked lawsuits and imprisonment; Morales was shielded by his authority.

But Morales did not act alone; he was surrounded by dozens of sycophants who facilitated his crimes and hid the evidence of his obscenities. Yes, many ministers, male and female, social leaders, coca-grower leaders, and members of his social movements acted as accomplices to the president’s criminal offenses. There were other accomplices: parents, especially from Chapare, who handed over their daughters to the “Jefazo” so he could indulge in his perversions.

These transactions came at a price: political and economic favors for those parents who, by surrendering their daughters, were engaging in human trafficking. Many coca-grower leaders were unfazed, claiming that in indigenous communities, it’s normal to give young girls to powerful men. It’s important to clarify that Chapare is not home to indigenous communities; it is made up of semi-urban, rural mestizo farmers who should have recognized that Morales was breaking the law. Their silence and complicity can be attributed to their political and ideological blindness in supporting a leader tainted by sexual crimes and, above all, because that president allowed them to continue profiting from coca production, moving it freely within the coca and cocaine trade circuit. In other words, drug trafficking is also deeply intertwined in this web of crimes.

The sycophancy and complicity were enormous. Let’s not forget the misogynistic chants of Evo’s female ministers celebrating his sexual exploits, singing and applauding as Morales “lowered anyone’s panties” while he boasted, “Evo delivers.” Gender-focused NGOs remained utterly silent in the face of these criminal acts. And what about international cooperation? They merely admired the “humble president of Bolivia’s” jersey, ignoring his use of helicopters, dozens of armored cars, personal guards, his private museum for displaying soccer jerseys, and the palace he built with a large suite for his sexual escapades. These cooperators applauded the rise to power of an “indigenous” man (did they even verify if he was indigenous?). These entities, especially European ones, reeked of colonial guilt and supported Morales, while many diplomats sought to achieve in Bolivia a revolution they couldn’t realize in their own countries. Their silence also made them complicit in Morales’ numerous violations of the law.

Why is everyone now talking about Morales’ sexual crimes? Has there been a moral awakening across Bolivian society? No. This is happening because Morales and his followers no longer wield the power they once had and can no longer suppress the truth about their actions during his administration. Moreover, the internal power struggles within MAS, rife with immorality, have exposed the details of how Morales broke the law.

As a result, a significant portion of the population has issued a moral condemnation of Morales and believes he has reached the limit of his immorality. We do not know if Bolivia’s corrupt justice system will judge him and send him to prison, as should happen with any criminal. Thus ends the one who claimed to represent the “moral reserve” of society.

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