Bolivia‘s former President Evo Morales expressed uncertainty about how to respond to threats of arrest from right-wing presidential candidates Samuel Doria Medina and Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga if they win the upcoming election.
Morales has been holed up in Bolivia’s tropics of Chapare under the protection of die-hard supporters for months.
In an interview with newsmen at his political organization’s headquarters, where he broadcasts a weekly radio show, Morales repeated his call for voters to deface their ballots in Sunday’s high-stakes elections.
“What are we going to do? Not even I know,” Morales said, expressing his uncertainty about how to respond to potential arrest. “I am in the crosshairs of the right-wing empire.”
Morales, 65, was charged last year with human trafficking and accused of impregnating a 15-year-old girl when he was president. While he hasn’t outright denied having sexual relations with the underage girl, he has described the charges as politically motivated.
The power struggle between Morales and his former finance minister, President Luis Arce, led to the splintering of their long-dominant Movement Toward Socialism Party.
This division has given the right-wing opposition its best shot at winning at the ballot box since Morales first came to power in 2006.
Morales contended that the election lacks legality and legitimacy, stating, “look, it’s an election without legality, without legitimacy …. without the Indigenous movement, without the popular movement.”
Morales views the null-and-void vote as “a protest vote, a vote of anger.” He also insulted Doria Medina and Quiroga, who have both run for president three times before, losing at least twice to Morales, calling them “eternal losers.”
Morales expressed confidence that the election outcome would reveal an unusually high proportion of invalid votes, saying, “no one is going to win. It will be the spoiled vote, which is Evo’s vote.”
The Bolivian economy is undergoing its worst crisis in around four decades, and the implosion of the MAS party has further complicated the political landscape.
Morales’ uncertain future hangs in the balance as Bolivia prepares for a pivotal election.
