RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, the Bolivian interim government lodged a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office against former President Evo Morales for sedition (rebellion) and terrorism, due to an alleged call by the indigenous leader – exiled to Mexico – to besiege La Paz with blockades.
The audio recording, in which the former president is supposedly heard speaking with rural leader Faustino Yucra, was released on Wednesday by the incumbent Interior Minister, Arturo Murillo. “We are asking for the maximum penalty for sedition and terrorism,” Murillo said as he was leaving the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
State Prosecutor General Juan Lanchipa said that “the content of this conversation would be related to the violent events recorded in the country in recent days”.
According to the prosecutor’s argument, this would involve the commission of crimes “linked to public safety, life and the endangering of other legal assets”.
The case against Morales is based on the audio recording in which the former president supposedly instructs one of his supporters, Faustino Yucra, to block roads and interrupt food supplies to the nation’s capital.
Jeanine Áñez, Bolivia’s interim president, alerted a week ago that Morales had pending legal issues and that if he were to return to the country, he would have to answer for them.
On that occasion, in a statement to the international press, the former senator, who assumed the presidency without the majority support of Congress after Morales’ resignation, reiterated that the goal of her provisional government is to call “fair and transparent” elections, but has not said when these will take place.
Source: El Pais