Kathrine Frich
The former Bolivian president has slipped out of the public eye at a moment of regional upheaval.
His disappearance follows dramatic events in Venezuela that reshaped alliances across Latin America.
Questions are growing as days turn into weeks without appearances or clear explanations.
Sudden silence
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales has not appeared in public since early January, shortly after the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, his longtime ally, according to the Associated Press.
Morales failed to attend a planned meeting with coca growers, a key support base, and did not host his regular radio program. He was also absent from a recent ceremony welcoming students back from vacation.
His social media accounts, once active, have shown almost no activity for about a month, the AP reported.
Official explanations
Morales’s aides have offered limited public comment on his absence. Privately, they have avoided detailed explanations, while publicly citing his recovery from dengue fever.
The illness, however, had not previously prevented Morales from maintaining a visible political presence, including attending rallies and meetings, according to the AP.
As a result, speculation has mounted that the former leader may no longer be in Bolivia.
Legal shadow
The Associated Press notes that Morales has faced charges in Bolivia for more than a year related to an alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. An arrest warrant is outstanding.
Despite the warrant, Morales had continued to appear openly at political events and gatherings until recently, making his current disappearance more striking.
Rumors persist that he may be outside the country, possibly in Mexico, though no official confirmation has been provided.
Regional fallout
Morales, a former union leader and Bolivia’s first president from an Indigenous community, came to power in 2006 and helped shape nearly two decades of socialist governance.
That era ended last year with the election of centrist President Rodrigo Paz.
Like Maduro, Morales built his political identity around opposition to U.S. influence and closer ties with countries such as Russia, China and Iran.
Cooperation with Beijing and Moscow included projects linked to Bolivia’s lithium resources.
According to the AP, Maduro’s arrest has heightened unease among leaders associated with Venezuela’s former power bloc, adding to uncertainty about Morales’s future role and whereabouts.
Sources: Associated Press, WP.
