From president to fugitive: in the jungle hideout of Evo Morales

从总统到逃犯:在埃沃·莫拉莱斯的丛林藏身之地

Today in Focus

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2025-05-15

29 分钟
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The socialist icon wants to defy the Bolivian constitution by running for a fourth term. But is he trying to save the country or himself? Tiago Rogero reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
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  • This is The Guardian.

  • Today a journey into the jungle hideout of Bolivia's fugitive former president.

  • Over nearly 14 years in power, Ivo Morales transformed Bolivia.

  • A socialist who lifted millions out of poverty, the country's first Indigenous president,

  • a populist who built schools and hospitals and a new high-rise presidential palace with its own massage room and sauna.

  • But that palace isn't where the Guardian found Morales a few weeks ago.

  • Yeah, we just went through the first checkpoint.

  • We are now waiting for someone from Ivo's team to allow us in the compound where he's being protected.

  • Morales is now a fugitive, holed up in rural Bolivian coca country,

  • defended by locals, men, women and children.

  • It was hundreds of people.

  • They were all holding sticks.

  • Some of them were holding these makeshift shields.

  • And on the top of the wooden fort, there was this guy holding an arrow.

  • So like I pointed the camera to the bow and arrow guy, he smiled and he made a pose.

  • It was very surreal.

  • It was like I was in a movie set, but like a low-budget movie set of a Bolivian.

  • version of Game of Thrones.

  • They say they will defend Evo Morales with their own lives if necessary,

  • if the government, if the police or the military try to arrest him.