Supporters of former Bolivian leader Morales block roads because of a possible arrest

Supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales blocked two major roads and clashed with police on Monday as the former leader could be arrested in the coming days on allegations that he raped a young girl.

The blockades, which protesters said would last indefinitely, began at dawn and are centered on two roads connecting the department of Cochabamba – where Morales spends most of his time – with the cities of Sucre and Santa Cruz.

“This afternoon, tomorrow and the next few days the whole country will be blocked,” Ponciano Santos, secretary of a union involved in the protest, told the press.

In the town of Parotani, on the road to La Paz, clashes broke out between demonstrators and police, who overwhelmed them with tear gas. Police confirmed reports that at least six people had been arrested.

Organizers said in a statement they mobilized “to protect the freedom and integrity of Morales and (to prevent) the kidnapping.”

The 64-year-old is accused of rape, human trafficking and people smuggling over his alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old member of his political youth guard in 2015.

In 2016, the girl gave birth to a daughter, whose father is said to be Morales.

On Thursday, he failed to respond to prosecutors’ request to make a statement, which could lead to an arrest warrant against him.

The prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Sandra Gutierrez, declined on Monday to answer journalists’ questions about whether she would call for Morales’ arrest.

“For reasons of investigative strategy, we are refraining from providing further details about the case,” she said.

However, the alleged victim’s father was arrested on Friday for also failing to comply with a summons and was remanded in custody for four months.

The girl’s parents are suspected of enrolling her in Morales’ juvenile wing with the aim of achieving political advancement and personal gain in exchange for their daughter.

Morales, who was elected Bolivia’s first indigenous president in 2006, claims the allegations against him were fabricated by the government of his arch-rival, current President Luis Arce, to discredit him.

Morales’ lawyers, meanwhile, said the investigation into the matter was “illegal” and argued that an investigation into the same allegations was closed in 2020 for lack of evidence.

The former coca farmer, who was president from 2006 to 2019, enjoyed wide popularity in the Andean country until he tried to circumvent the constitution and seek a fourth term.

He was forced to resign after losing the military’s support following an election marred by allegations of fraud.

Arce served as his finance minister for more than a decade, but the pair later fell out.

Morales led several thousand supporters on a march in September that came after violent clashes with opponents in the capital and called for a reshuffle of the president’s Cabinet.

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