Bolivia Electoral Tribunal Says Evo Morales Lacks Registration for August Vote

Bolivia’s Tribunal Supremo Electoral confirmed that former president Evo Morales is not registered as a candidate for the 17 August general election. In a letter dated 4 July and released on Tuesday, acting TSE president Óscar Hassenteufel stated that “in no moment was the candidacy of Mr. Evo Morales Ayma presented officially and legally,” and, consequently, the authority has issued no ruling on his participation. The clarification responds to a request Morales sent last week asking the electoral body to recognise the decision of his supporters, who had proclaimed him their nominee. The TSE noted that it has no record of the “Instrumento Político Evo Pueblo,” the organisation Morales seeks to launch after resigning from the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) in March. It also reiterated that Pan-Bol, the smaller party with which Morales has an agreement, lost its legal status in May for failing to meet the 3 % vote threshold in the 2020 election. Morales, who governed from 2006 to 2019, continues to press for a comeback despite a recent Constitutional Court ruling that limits presidential re-election to a single consecutive term. His supporters staged two weeks of road blockades in June that left at least six people dead, heightening tensions with President Luis Arce’s administration. The electoral calendar gives parties until early August to finalise slates, but Hassenteufel’s letter signals the TSE will not consider any late filing from the former leader or his unregistered movement.