BOLIVIA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- The country Bolivia, a landlocked Andean nation, is led by President Rodrigo Paz.
- What happened Ex-President Evo Morales rejected the government’s claim that he runs a drug cartel.
- The quote He said the minister would be his employee if he led a cartel in his coca-growing home region.
- Why it matters Morales faces arrest warrants but stays in the Chapare, a coca-growing region where he has supporters.
- Power Index Bolivia ranks 13th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 27.9 points (November 2026 edition).
Bolivia’s former president Evo Morales answered the government on Wednesday 11 November 2026, after Minister of Government Marco Antonio Oviedo, the interior minister, called him the head of a drug cartel. Morales said: “If I were the head of the Chapare cartel, he would have to be my employee.”
For US readers, the clash shows how far Bolivia’s new conservative government is pushing against a leader who still commands the coca-growing Chapare region. The fight touches on drug trafficking, road blockades and the rule of law in a country rich in lithium and gas.
What Happened
Oviedo, whose official title is Minister of Government (Bolivia’s interior minister), spoke on a Bolivian radio station and described Morales as the head of a drug-trafficking cartel based in the tropics of the Cochabamba department. That region is known as the Chapare, a coca-growing lowland where Morales built his career as a union leader.
Morales replied the same day in the press. He said he has been investigated before and that nothing was found, and he turned the accusation around by pointing at Oviedo himself.
He also raised the case of the suitcases of Sebastián Marset, a Uruguayan drug trafficker captured in Bolivia, and blamed the minister for irregularities in how they were handled. Marset was arrested in Bolivia in March 2026.
Who Is Who
Evo Morales led Bolivia from 2006 to 2019 and is the best-known figure of the country’s coca growers. He has stayed in the Chapare since October 2024, where supporters keep watch over him.
Rodrigo Paz is the current president, and Oviedo serves in his cabinet as the minister in charge of police and internal security. Morales denies the cases, and his lawyers say they are political.
Legal Status of Morales
A prosecutor in Santa Cruz, Bolivia's biggest city, issued a new arrest order against Morales on 29 July 2026 over the May and June road blockades, according to the prosecutors’ office. It adds to an older warrant in a human-trafficking case, issued in October 2024 and made public in December 2024.
Bolivia’s attorney general said in May 2026 that the older order could not be carried out because the police lacked security guarantees in the Chapare. No arrest has been reported.
What It Means for You
If you invest in Bolivia or do business there, the feud is a reminder that political risk remains high. The May and June blockades are at the centre of the newest warrant, and any move to arrest Morales could revive protests.
Travellers should check road conditions before any trip through the Cochabamba region. Protests can close highways at short notice.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether the government will present evidence for the cartel claim. Morales has not been charged with leading a cartel in any warrant we found.
It is also unclear whether the police will try to arrest Morales in the Chapare. No date has been announced.
More: Bolivia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Did Evo Morales Say About the Cartel Claim?
He said that if he were the head of the Chapare cartel, Minister Oviedo would have to be his employee. He also said he has been investigated before and nothing was found.
Is Evo Morales Under Arrest?
No. Prosecutors have issued arrest warrants, but he remains in the Chapare, and the attorney general said in May that security guarantees were lacking.
What Is the Chapare?
It is a lowland coca-growing region of the Cochabamba department, in central Bolivia. It is the political base of Evo Morales.
Who Is Marco Antonio Oviedo?
He is Bolivia’s Minister of Government, the cabinet post in charge of police and internal security. He serves under President Rodrigo Paz.
Sources: Ministry of Government of Bolivia, statements by Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo, 10–11 November 2026; public statements by Evo Morales, 11 November 2026; Fiscalía General del Estado (Bolivia’s attorney general’s office), arrest orders of December 2024 and 29 July 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error