Evo Morales faces a new arrest warrant in Bolivia for protests that paralyzed highways for 53 days

The judicial situation of former Bolivian president Evo Morales worsened after the Prosecutor’s Office issued a new arrest warrant against him for his alleged link to the protests and road blockades that for 53 days affected different regions of Bolivia and demanded the departure of President Rodrigo Paz.

The warrant was issued by the anti-corruption prosecutor Brayan Melgar, from Santa Cruz, who attributes to the former president an alleged participation in several crimes, including terrorism, armed uprising against the security and sovereignty of the State, attack against the security of means of transport, criminal association, and public incitement to commit a crime.

The accusations are related to the mobilizations that took place between May and June 2026, when trade union, peasant, and Morales-aligned organizations set up numerous roadblocks on the country’s highways. The protests had the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz among their main demands and caused difficulties for the transport of goods, food, and fuel.

Morales publicly supported the mobilizations, although he has denied participating in criminal activities. After the Prosecutor’s Office’s decision was made known, the former leader described the process as political persecution and maintained that the authorities intend to divert attention from the economic and social problems that Bolivia is going through.

The new judicial order increases pressure on the political leader, who remains in the Chapare region, in the department of Cochabamba, one of his main political and union strongholds. There, he has the support of coca producer organizations, a circumstance that has so far complicated attempts by security forces to carry out other judicial actions against him.

Another arrest warrant was already pending against Morales, stemming from a separate case related to accusations of human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors for events that allegedly occurred during his presidential term. The former president has denied these allegations and also attributes them to political motivations.

Investigations into the blockades, meanwhile, extend beyond the former president. The La Paz Public Prosecutor’s Office reported in July that it had opened 114 criminal cases related to the protests, involving 335 people, while 26 remained in pretrial detention.

The order against Morales comes after complaints filed by the Ministry of Government and the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee regarding the effects of the mobilizations. Other leaders linked to the organization of the protests have also been subjected to judicial proceedings.

The new scenario now shifts the focus to whether the Bolivian authorities will be able to execute the arrest warrant in the Chapare, an area where the presence of Morales’ followers and political tensions have turned any potential operation into a highly sensitive matter for the Government.