Story perspectives

Bolivia Issues Arrest Warrant for Ex-President Morales Over Drug Probe

5/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Bolivian judge declared former President Evo Morales in contempt after he missed his trafficking-of-a-minor hearing in Tarija.
The court issued a nationwide arrest warrant, froze Morales’s bank accounts and ordered asset registration.
President Rodrigo Paz said Bolivia will work with U.S. authorities on a drug-trafficking probe, citing the extradition of former anti-drug chief Maximiliano Dávila.

History

Historical Context

In 2007 Chile’s Supreme Court, invoking the 1932 extradition treaty, approved the transfer of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori on seven of thirteen charges after a 12-month legal battle, marking the first extradition of an elected head of state. Bolivia’s courts now mirror this shift, issuing a nationwide arrest warrant for ex-president Evo Morales and coordinating with U.S. drug investigators, underscoring growing regional accountability.

1 of 2

Story summary

A Bolivian judge declared former President Evo Morales in contempt after he missed his trafficking-of-a-minor hearing in Tarija.
The court issued a nationwide arrest warrant, froze Morales’s bank accounts and ordered asset registration.
President Rodrigo Paz said Bolivia will work with U.S. authorities on a drug-trafficking probe, citing the extradition of former anti-drug chief Maximiliano Dávila.

1 / 2