Bolivia’s constitutional court has barred former leader Evo Morales from standing for re-election next year, after reaffirming that a president cannot serve more than two terms.
In a ruling made public on Friday, which upholds a 2023 decision, the high court said the mandate of an elected official is “only for two periods, whether consecutive or not, without the possibility of extending it to a third term.”
Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, Morales led the country from 2006 to 2019 and was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term.
The leftist won that vote but was forced to resign in 2019 amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud, and fled the country.
He returned after his former ally Luis Arce won the presidency in 2020, but since then the two men have struggled for power over the ruling party.
The ruling announced Friday came in response to a request from a parliamentarian who asked the constitutional court to clear up doubts about its December 2023 decision.
It also comes about a month into protests by Morales’s supporters, who have blocked roads, taken soldiers hostage and called for Arce to resign.
The protests began on October 14 after prosecutors charged Morales with statutory rape over his alleged relationship with a 15-year-old girl while in office.
He denies the charges, saying they were brought by Arce’s government to prevent him from making a political comeback.
The 65-year-old Indigenous leader has not commented on the latest court decision, but says he is eligible to run and the Arce government is blocking his candidacy.
Bolivia will hold its next presidential election in August 2025.
