- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Bolivia Gives Ex-President Morales 10 Days to Testify in Court Amid Probe Into Electoral Fraud

© REUTERS / Agustin MarcarianFormer Bolivian President Evo Morales gestures during an interview with Reuters, in Buenos Aires, Argentina March 2, 2020. Picture taken March 2, 2020.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales gestures during an interview with Reuters, in Buenos Aires, Argentina March 2, 2020. Picture taken March 2, 2020. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
LA PAZ (Sputnik) - Bolivia's prosecutor general's office has given 10 days to former President Evo Morales to testify in court, the country's Attorney General Juan Lanchipa said.
"The judge ordered that Morales appeared in person within 10 days and appeared before the judiciary," Lanchipa told reporters.

On Tuesday, Bolivia's Presidency Minister Yerko Nunez called for a faster investigation into an electoral fraud case.

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was granted asylum in Mexico, looks up toward a video playing on a screen during a press conference in Mexico City, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019.  - Sputnik International
Prosecutors Launch Criminal Proceedings Against Ex-Bolivian Leader Evo Morales Over 'Election Fraud'

In July, the anti-corruption commission of the prosecutor's office accused Morales, who is now residing in Argentina, of terrorism-related crimes and asked for his arrest, as he was allegedly coordinating food blockade and the siege of major cities during the November 2019 conflict with the leader of Bolivian cocaleros, Faustino Yukra, over the phone.

According to prosecutors, Morales kept in touch with Yukra during his stay in Mexico. Morales, 60, is already under investigation on several other cases, including corruption. The ex-president himself has denied the allegations, claiming they are politically-motivated.

Morales was pressured by the military to flee Venezuela on the back of violent nationwide protests last fall. They were ignited by his controversial victory in an election that would launch his fourth consecutive presidential term.

In October, the Bolivian opposition refused to accept the victory of then-incumbent Evo Morales in the first round of the presidential election, citing alleged irregularities in the vote-counting process. Under the pressure of protests and the military, Morales stepped down and fled the country. Bolivia's highest-ranking officials followed suit. The opposition vice-speaker of the upper house, Jeanine Anez, took over as interim president.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала