Bolivia's Evo Morales held in contempt for missing trafficking trial

On Monday, a judge in Bolivia found former President Evo Morales in contempt for not attending a court hearing related to accusations of minor trafficking. The charges allege that while in office in 2016, Morales engaged in a relationship with a teenager and fathered her child. Serving as Bolivia's first indigenous president from 2006 until 2019, he resigned following a contested election. Since late 2024, he has been evading an arrest warrant in Chapare, his political stronghold, where his supporters oppose potential police actions. Previously, in January 2025, he was also held in contempt for skipping a pretrial detention hearing. Last week, Morales asserted on social media that he is a target of "legal warfare" and "fabricated charges." The trial was scheduled to begin in Tarija.