The Spanish independent media outlet OK Diario claimed this week to have obtained a 46-page secret police report detailing an investigation into a relationship between socialist former president of Bolivia Evo Morales and an underage girl.
OK Diario does not claim to confirm the relationship or have independent evidence of anything untoward — only that the current conservative government of Bolivia is investigating the matter. The online outlet published several photos of Morales alongside a girl the police report allegedly claims was 14 at the time of the relationship. It also published what it claimed to be her government identification card and what it claimed to be evidence of phone records between her number and one allegedly belonging to Morales.
It names the girl, who would be a 19-year-old woman today, and alleges that she made several suspicious trips out of the country following Morales’ voluntary resignation from power in November after the Organization of American States (OAS) published evidence of fraud in his alleged election “victory” a month prior.
Following his resignation, Morales — who had served as president for 13 years and forced constitutional changes through the legislature to get on the ballot in 2019 — fled to Mexico, claiming he had been the victim of a “coup,” and then to Argentina, where the girl identified in the alleged police report allegedly traveled. The conservative government of President Jeanine Áñez took over after his flight from the country only because everyone above her on the chain of command, all members of Morales’ Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party, also fled the country.
The Pan-American Post reported on Wednesday that a video has surfaced on Bolivian social media allegedly of the girl in question congratulating Morales on their fifth-year anniversary. The video in question appears grainy and its sound does not match the lips of the person speaking in the video.
If Bolivian police eventually pursue charges against Morales, statutory rape in the country is punishable by between three to six years in prison.
OK Diario is an independent outlet founded by journalist Eduardo Inda, formerly of one of Spain’s most prominent newspapers, El Mundo. Journalist Alejandro Entrambasaguas published the Morales story on Sunday, then called Morales personally on Monday to ask for comment. In the recording he published, Morales dismisses the issue entirely, insisting, “I don’t have any comment, they make anything up, I don’t talk about those things.” It is not clear from the recording if Morales meant to refer to the media as “they” or the Bolivian authorities.
Evo Morales se niega a aclarar a @okdiario si mantuvo una relación con una menor: “Yo no hablo de esas cosas”.
Se sorprendió al escuchar mi voz. Pero llamarle era mi obligación como periodista. Y @evoespueblo no dio la cara. Es un cobarde. Escuchadlo: https://t.co/CgfcGJkcEn pic.twitter.com/cohAXNrViR
— Alejandro Entrambasaguas (@entrammbasaguas) August 10, 2020
Morales has not mentioned the case in any official capacity, nor has he issued any confirmation or denial that the audio published by OK Diario is of his voice.
Bolivian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied at press time that they are investigating the matter.
Morales is nonetheless facing grave charges in the Bolivian justice system. As of Sunday, Minister of Justice and Institutional Transparency Álvaro Coímbra confirmed that the Bolivian government is pursuing charges against Morales for “genocide, terrorism, sedition, crimes against health, against basic services, destruction of public property” and “crimes against the environment.” The charges are related to Morales’ encouragement of socialist violence against the legitimate government to demand his return to power. Morales — who commands significant support among labor unions and indigenous groups — encouraged socialists to take the streets, causing riots in which large groups chanting “here we go, civil war” burned down police stations, emergency vehicles, property in national parks, and caused other destruction.
Bolivian authorities published audio in December of what they claimed was a phone call between Morales and a key labor ally in the country in which the former commanded a blockade to prevent civilians from accessing food to force them to riot in favor of Morales’ return.
“Don’t let food into the cities,” the voice identified as Morales can be heard as saying.
Morales also faces charges of fraud in the October election, brought by his rival, the center-left candidate Carlos Mesa. Mesa testified in his case against Morales on Monday.
Morales spoke at length about several topics in a Facebook Live broadcast on Tuesday from Argentina, where he has received “political asylum” from the socialist government. He did not discuss the allegations of statutory rape, but did mention the riots and physical blockading of cities.
“The government doesn’t want the blockades to end so they can keep blaming us for the crisis,” Morales alleged.
Morales also discussed the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, which he speculated was an intentional attempt to reduce global populations.
“I am almost convinced that the pandemic is part of a biological war,” Morales said. “In the politics of the new world order, it is important to plan the reduction of unnecessary populations. Old people, the handicapped, the poor are no use to capitalism.”
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