Former president of Ecuador Rafael Correa is making a public appeal for former president Evo Morales to be permitted to enter Bolivia’s presidential race in the context of concerted attempts to bar the popular indigenous leader from running.
Opponents of the former president have interpreted a ruling by a Constitutional Court judge to claim that no one can be reelected in Bolivia for more than two terms, continuous or discontinuous. Supporters of the popular Bolivian ex-president have called it a blatant political maneuver to exclude the most electorally viable leader of the left.
In a video message shared on social media, Correa sent a message to the MAS and the people of Bolivia to respect the right of Evo to participate in this year’s election:
“An immense embrace to our beloved Bolivia, the Plurinational State of Bolivia. An immense embrace to President Luis Arce, to comrade Evo Morales, but also a message from the depths of my heart as an Ecuadorian, as a Latin American: Evo has every right to participate as a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic. If they want to defeat him, defeat him at the ballot box, but not with legal maneuvers.
And a message for all the brothers of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS). The foundational leaders take care even in their mistakes. They take care of themselves because they are fundamental for the process. And Evo, without a doubt, transformed Bolivia, which was our beloved Bolivia before Evo and with Evo was an example for Latin America and for the world. Evo, dear brother, the soul, my unconditional support.
And to the Bolivian people to respect the right of Evo Morales to participate as a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, hallalla Bolivia.”
Evo Morales, who leads the indigenous peasant movements in the rural Trópico of Cochabamba and who served as president for a period of 14 years, has been the target of a systematic lawfare campaign and political persecution, as detailed by the Lawfare Observatory, with the complicity of the government of Luis Arce.
The MAS suffered an ugly split during the last two years from which the party has been unable to reconcile, creating an opening for the Washington-aligned right-wing to take power by elections or other means as Luis Arce’s government saw a drop in support levels, particularly following the assassination attempt against Evo in October 2024. The government has failed to investigate the suspicious attack for which military facilities were used. Evo Morales has repeatedly denounced government and in particular the interior ministry for its involvement. Meanwhile, voices critical of the Arce government, both Bolivian and international, have been taken off the air.
Registration for candidates is set for May 20 ahead of the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for August 17, 2025. Evo maintains his eligibility and has announced that accompanied by his supporters he will register as a presidential candidate for the August election.
