The former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales (2006-2019), has declared himself a presidential candidate again for the elections scheduled for August 17. Although he has not yet revealed which political party he will run with, Morales proclaimed himself during a rally in Entre Ríos, in the central Cochabamba region, a key political and union stronghold for him, where hundreds of his supporters gathered.
"We are convinced that we will win the elections this year, that's why they fear us so much. United we are invincible, mobilized we are unreachable," expressed the former leader during the event. Morales was proclaimed as a presidential candidate at the end of March, after the creation of his political group 'Evo Pueblo', following the loss of leadership of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) and his resignation from membership.
In his speech, Morales highlighted that his supporters defend the "cultural democratic revolution" and assured that the right will not return to power in Bolivia. Although he has not yet announced the name of the party with which he will compete in the elections, Morales reassured his followers by saying that the acronym is guaranteed to participate in the elections.
During the rally in Entre Ríos, Morales was not alone, as the Mamoré Bulo Bulo federation, led by the current Senate president, Andrónico Rodríguez, also showed its support for the former president. Although Rodríguez is considered by some as a possible presidential candidate, he himself has ruled out that option, although he has received criticism from Morales's supporters, who insist that their leader is the only candidate from their sector.
The Bolivian Prosecutor's Office is investigating Morales for aggravated human trafficking, a charge related to an alleged relationship with a minor. Despite an arrest warrant issued against him last October, Morales remains in the Tropic of Cochabamba since November of last year, guarded by supporters who prevent his detention.
Following the political crisis of 2019 that led to Morales's resignation from the presidency and his subsequent exile, the Bolivian government became divided. The MAS, the ruling party, came under the leadership of Grover García, close to President Luis Arce, marking a distance between Arce and Morales throughout 2021, due to differences in the MAS presidential candidacy and government decisions.