A Bolivian court has issued an arrest warrant for former president Evo Morales, charging him with armed uprising against the state, terrorism, and attacks on transport infrastructure. The warrant, issued by the Santa Cruz district prosecutor's office on Wednesday, stems from Morales's alleged role in organising protests and road blockades that paralysed Bolivia for more than 50 days in May and June. The charges also include criminal association, public incitement to crime, and endangering public services.

The unrest was triggered by an economic crisis and the government of conservative President Rodrigo Paz, who introduced sharp fuel subsidy cuts — agreed with the International Monetary Fund to reduce the fiscal deficit — that drove up the cost of living sharply. Protesters, including farmers, truckers, miners, and teachers, blockaded roads across the country for weeks, causing severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. Paz eventually reached an agreement with Bolivia's main labour federation, the Confederation of Bolivian Workers, in late June, after which Morales announced the suspension of the final blockades in the Cochabamba region. Paz subsequently declared a state of emergency, giving authorities broader constitutional powers to restore order.

The criminal complaint that triggered the new charges was filed by the civic group Comité Pro Santa Cruz and later taken up by the Interior Ministry, which alleged that Morales's supporters caused the supply shortages through 53 days of transport blockades. Morales, who confirmed the warrant on social media, rejected the charges as political persecution.