Evo did not appear because his defense questions the legal competence of the prosecutor and judge of Tarija

The defense of former President Evo Morales presented a memorial attaching the constitutional ruling of Santa Cruz, which ordered that the case be settled in the region where the accused lives, in this case Villa Tunari. Therefore, the Fifth Investigative Judge of Tarija, Nelson Rocabado and the commission of prosecutors They cannot continue hearing the case, as explained by their lawyer Nelson Cox.

“We have demanded that the judge comply with the constitutional determination made by Sentencing Judge number 14 of Santa Cruz, that complies with inhibiting knowledge of the cause and send it to Villa Tunari, who is the natural judge; that he comply, because he is violating constitutional rights and guarantees, and we have told him that we do not recognize his jurisdiction to deal with the case,” said the defense lawyer.

Evo Morales was due to appear at 4:00 p.m. this Thursday before the commission of prosecutors investigating the case of statutory rape and human trafficking crimes in which the former president is one of the three denounced; together with him Idelsa P. and Emeterio VM had to declareparents of the victim CSVP, this does not appear in the complaint.

Cox said the main irregularity was that The commission of prosecutors of Tarija prepared an arrest resolution against Morales without having an Investigative Judge, who is the one who controls that rights are fulfilled; For that reason they went to the Santa Cruz judge, who ruled in favor of the former president’s defense.

He later explained that, for this reason, the new commission of prosecutors could no longer present the case before Judge Rocabado because There is already a constitutional ruling that mandates that the case must be installed where the main defendant lives; Morales lives in Villa Tunari.

Cox indicated that the rule provides for the case to be opened where the victim lives and added that In this case there is no victim, because CSVP does not appear in the complaint and therefore it is a process that the Prosecutor’s Office follows ex officio. Supported by that constitutional ruling, on Monday they presented their memorial and there was no statement from the Prosecutor’s Office and the Fifth Court, it was for that reason that Evo Morales did not appear to testify, as he had been summoned.