"Bolivian Judge Carlos Oblitas declared former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) in contempt of court on Monday for failing to appear before the Tarija court where he is being tried for human trafficking, specifically for allegedly impregnating a 15-year-old girl while he was president. The court order includes an arrest warrant and a travel ban, as reported to the press by Supreme Court Justice Grover Mita."
"Morales' legal team had already announced last week that their client would not appear, considering the case a political persecution and alleging irregularities in the criminal proceedings. The former president's lawyer, Wilfredo Chavez, called a press conference last Wednesday to denounce the improper notification process. They should be notified personally, and only then should the trial begin; notification by edict was not appropriate."
"Mita, who asserted that the Code of Criminal Procedure allows for notifications in person or digitally: The procedure is valid; the court has opted to make notifications through various means, indicating the day and time. The Prosecutor's Office claims to have gathered more than 170 pieces of evidence to initiate a trial against Morales."
"The case dates back to 2020, during the brief interim presidency of Jeanine Anez. At that time, images and text messages between the Indigenous leader and a teenager at least 40 years his junior were leaked. The Public Prosecutor's Office maintains that the victim's parents accepted the relationship between the former president and their daughter in exchange for political and ec"
Bolivian Judge Carlos Oblitas declared former president Evo Morales in contempt for not appearing before the Tarija court, where he is being tried for human trafficking. The accusation centers on an allegation that Morales impregnated a 15-year-old girl while he was president. The court order includes an arrest warrant and a travel ban. Morales’ legal team said he would not attend, claiming the case is political persecution and that criminal proceedings had irregularities. The defense argued Morales should have been personally notified before trial, rejecting notification by edict. Supreme Court Justice Grover Mita rejected the challenge, stating the criminal procedure allows in-person or digital notifications. Morales has been in hiding since 2024 in the Chapare coca-growing region. Prosecutors say they collected more than 170 pieces of evidence, and the case began in 2020 after leaked images and messages involving Morales and a teenager.
Read at english.elpais.com
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