Bolivias former leader Morales returns to stronghold after 7-week absence period

Bolivia’s Former President Evo Morales Returns After Seven-Week Absence

Evo Morales, Bolivia’s former president, has reappeared in his central Chapare region stronghold after a seven-week absence. On Thursday, Morales made a public appearance in the town of Chimore, addressing supporters and ending speculation about his whereabouts.

Footage released by Radio Kawsachun Coca, the media outlet of Morales’ coca-growing union, showed the former leader arriving at a stadium via tractor, wearing dark sunglasses. During his address, Morales endorsed candidates for next month’s regional elections and criticized the US under President Donald Trump for wanting to “eliminate every left-wing party in Latin America”.

Morales explained that he had been absent due to health complications from chikungunya, a mosquito-borne ailment with no treatment that causes fever and severe joint pain. He denied rumors of attempting to flee the country and pledged to remain in Bolivia despite the threat of arrest under conservative President Rodrigo Paz.

The former president has spent the past year evading an arrest warrant on charges of human trafficking, which he denies. In December, Bolivian authorities arrested former President Luis Arce as part of a corruption investigation related to his time as economy minister under Morales.

Since taking office, President Paz has revived diplomatic ties with Washington and made efforts to re-establish the US Drug Enforcement Administration in Bolivia, which had been expelled 17 years ago during Morales’ presidency. The coca-growing region remains a stronghold for Morales’ support, but these developments have likely added to his concerns about his safety and well-being.

Source: Al Jazeera