Bolivian prosecutors request 6 months of preventive detention for Evo Morales

LA PAZ, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Bolivian Prosecutor's Office confirmed on Monday that it will request six months of preventive detention for former president Evo Morales, who was accused of human trafficking and rape.

Roger Mariaca, the state attorney general, said in a press conference that the hearing will be held in the city of Tarija on Jan. 14, 2025.

He warned that the arrest warrant and other legal measures will be issued if Morales does not appear.

Morales, who was president from 2006 to 2019, denied the charges and said his constitutional rights, including being presumed innocent until proven guilty, were being violated.

Morales has been facing an arrest warrant for his refusal to testify in the case since October. He now stays in the region protected by a security team organized by loyal social movements in Chapare in Cochabamba Department.

He said earlier that the "brutal legal war" against him aims to prevent his candidacy in next year's presidential elections.