International
Bolivia’s Constitutional Court ratifies that Evo Morales cannot be a candidate
The Plurinational Constitutional Court of Bolivia issued a ruling that confirms that re-election in the country is for one-time continuously or discontinuously, so former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) would be prevented from being a candidate for the Presidency in 2025.
The constitutional order, signed by magistrates René Espada and Gonzalo Hurtado, establishes that the elected authorities in the Legislative, Executive and Judicial powers have “the exercise of their mandate period, only for two periods, whether these are continuous or discontinuous without the possibility of extending to a third term.”
Rules against Evo Morales in Bolivia
The ruling, which is a response to an appeal for complementation and amendment presented by some legislators, points out that the Constitution promulgated in 2009, promoted by Morales, seeks to “avoid in any way the permanence of a president, in the case of the Legislative (and) Executive) Bodies for more than ten years in total.”
This affects Morales’ intentions to be a candidate for the Presidency again, since he has already governed Bolivia on three occasions (2006-2009, 2010-2014 and 2015-2019).
Likewise, the premise of the Constitutional Court also applies to the magistrates of the Judiciary, who can be re-elected by popular vote once, while for the electoral members there is no possibility of extending their mandate.
The resolution also establishes that “no elected authority that has passed two previous candidacies, may run and even less exercise” the positions of vice president, president of the Legislature, president of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.”
This week Senator Andrónico Rodríguez, akin to the official Morales bloc, was elected president of the Senate for the fourth consecutive time.
Opposition deputy José Carlos Gutiérrez, one of the legislators who raised the appeal, told EFE that the constitutional order is a “clarification” to the ruling issued by that same instance at the end of last year.
Constitutional impediment
The constitutional judgment of December 2023 established that in Bolivia the president and vice president can only be elected and exercise their mandate for two periods, whether continuous or discontinuous and that indefinite re-election does not exist and “is not a human right.”
“With this, what remains for Evo Morales is to leave Bolivia alone and stop trying to get power by force, facing Justice like any civilian, because he will never be able to be president ever again in his life,” Gutiérrez emphasized.
This week, in an interview with EFE in Lauca Ñ, Morales reiterated that he “is legally constitutionally, nationally, internationally qualified” and that the Government’s intention through Justice is “to make believe that Evo is disqualified.”
The ruling Movement to Socialism (MAS) is divided into two sides, some that support Morales and others supporters of the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, due to the internal tensions in the ruling party that began at the end of 2021.
This tension has increased in recent weeks due to the blockade of roads that Morales’ followers kept for 24 days in the center of the country to demand that the investigations for rape and human trafficking be lifted, in addition to respect for the 2023 congress that proclaimed him “single candidate” for the 2025 elections.
The Arce bloc and the Morales bloc are also facing control of the MAS, whose permanence as a party depends on an upcoming meeting in which the directive that Morales presides over is renewed.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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