'I am not guilty' - Evo Morales rejects charges, blames US influence
Key Takeaways
- Evo Morales denied all five criminal charges against him.
- He claimed the case was politically motivated and backed by the US.
- Morales defended his presidency and criticised US influence in Latin America.
The former Bolivian president denied all five criminal charges, saying the case was politically motivated and linked to his government's past policies toward Washington.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales has denied all criminal charges against him, insisting he committed no crime and accusing the United States of influencing the case against him.
Speaking during a radio interview in Lauca N, in Cochabamba's Tiraque province, Morales rejected accusations of armed uprising against state security and sovereignty, terrorism, attacks on transport and public services, criminal association and publicly inciting crimes.
"If we analyse this charge. I am not guilty of any of these," the former president said.
Morales claimed the case was political retaliation for decisions made during his nearly 14 years in office, including nationalising Bolivia's strategic resources and ending military cooperation with Washington.
"They do not forgive us for what we demonstrated in 14 years, that Bolivia was doing well. <...> We affected capitalist groups, the North American empire, we closed the military base out of dignity, they do not forgive us for that," Morales said.
He also criticised US involvement in Bolivia's anti-drug policy, alleging that Washington uses anti-narcotics efforts to expand its influence across Latin America.
"The United States meets with the Peace Cabinet to map out the anti-drug trafficking strategy. Please. The cabinet is for the United States," he said. "They now accuse us of being narco-terrorists, the empire's plan not only for Bolivia but for all of Latin America."
Morales defended his record in office, saying his administration delivered Bolivia's strongest period of development.
"I have not considered myself the best president in history, but those 14 years were the best period in the entire history of Bolivia," he said.
Morales served as Bolivia's president from January 2006 until November 2019 before resigning during a political and social crisis following a disputed election. His supporters describe the legal cases against him as political persecution, while his opponents argue he should face justice.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
