Former Bolivian President Evo Morales lost his mobile phone at the end of the campaign for a candidate from his political party, the Movement for Socialism (MAS). To find him, all police units in Santa Cruz were instructed to carry out searches. The press reports that the national commander of the Police, General Orlando Ponce, arrived in this Bolivian region to personally direct the “apparatusous operation.”
A MAS deputy, Juanito Angulo, slipped that the “theft” of the device could be the responsibility of the United States embassy in Bolivia and denied that information could be found in it linking Morales to drug trafficking, a crime with which, for months, the opposition tries to involve the former president. Speculation abounds on social networks about the content of the mobile, based on the assumption that it cannot be deleted or blocked remotely, since otherwise the police would not have gone looking for it.
The loss or theft of the cell phone occurred at the closing of the campaign of a candidate for mayor of La Guardia, in Santa Cruz, the agro-industrial region of the country, where the ruling party is less strong than in the rest of the country. In his capacity as leader of the MAS, Morales attended the electoral act together with thousands of supporters of the candidate. Among them was the Minister of Government (Interior), Eduardo del Castillo, who is in charge of controlling the police.
Del Castillo did not greet Morales, even though the two were only a few steps apart. The relationship between them has been broken since the first requested the arrest of a former police chief of the former president’s administration, Maximiliano Dávila, based on a complaint for drug trafficking protection that emerged from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the office drug enforcement of the United States.
Morales does not defend Dávila, but believes that the DEA is a mechanism of “imperialist persecution of the peoples and social fighters” and that the Bolivian government cannot take it as a reference for its actions against drugs. In 2011, when Morales was president, he ordered the expulsion of this US agency from the country.
Since then, there have been several clashes between the MAS leadership and Minister Del Castillo, who has the support of President Luis Arce. This is the most evident aspect of the difficulties and of the cold relationship that currently exists between Evo Morales and the president. Disagreement is the main theme of national politics.
Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without limits.
subscribe
“The theft of my cell phone occurred in an act that had the presence of the Minister of Government and his security. First time something similar has happened to us in all these years of political activity. We would not want to think that it is part of a planned attack to harm us,” tweeted Evo Morales several hours after the disappearance of his cell phone. And, in a tweet, he healed himself from any alleged leak on his mobile: “We have nothing to hide, but we will denounce any attempt to use montages or misrepresentations against us.”
Messages circulated on social networks that made reference to national political figures who, supposedly, would be “trembling” due to the loss of the cell phone. According to polls, today Evo Morales is one of the three most popular politicians in the country, but also the one who arouses the most negative opinions.
However, more than humor, bitter attacks were observed against the former president, both because of the alleged content of his phone and because the police have to find him. Because of his life as a coca grower, Evo Morales has received accusations of drug ties throughout his entire career. These have gotten worse in recent times.
Follow all the international information in Facebook Y Twitteror in our weekly newsletter.
#Bolivia #mobilizes #Santa #Cruz #police #loss #Evo #Morales #phone