Evo Morales’ allies support his presidential candidacy despite ineligibility

It was also decided that “Evo Morales Ayma continues to be legally, legitimately and constitutionally the president of MAS”.

Morales, 65, who governed for three terms between 2006 and 2019, suffered two setbacks at the Constitutional Court (TC) in the last two weeks.

The court first decided that the exercise of presidential mandates must be limited to two periods, in a “continuous or discontinuous” manner, and later ordered her exclusion from the party leadership, handing her over to an ally of President Luis Arce.

The cocalero leader was the main figure of the MAS since the mid-1990s.

Morales is in dispute for control of the official left with Arce, whom he accuses of wanting to remove him from the electoral race using the justice system.

Party control is essential for defining candidacies for next year, as well as choosing candidates for deputies and senators. Currently, the party is divided between the “evistas” and the “arcistas”.