Bolivia's Morales barred from running for political office

9/11/2024 12:29

        A constitutional court in Bolivia has barred former President Evo Morales from running again for office, ushering in a new phase in the country's long-running political crisis.
        
        Morales, who led Bolivia from 2006 to 2019, had been vying for the candidacy of his MAS party, alongside his former mentee-turned-rival, President Luis Arce.
        
        But, in a decision last week that was reported on Friday, Bolivia's constitutional court ruled that presidents were limited to serving two terms, whether consecutive or non-consecutive.
        
        After serving his first two terms, a court ruling allowed Morales to serve a third term because his first preceded a constitutional rewrite. He ran for a fourth term in the 2019 elections, but fled the country after the results were disputed and unrest ensued. Arce was elected in 2020.
        
        "Without a doubt this ushers in a new era of politics in Bolivia," opposition lawmaker Marcelo Pedrazas told journalists on Friday. "In 2025, we'll have an election without Evo Morales on the ballot."