The government of Bolivia has indicated that it is filing a complaint before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former Bolivian President Evo Morales for crimes against humanity, following the roadblocks organized by his supporters which paralyzed the country last month.
In reality, a state party like Bolivia, although a signatory to the Treaty of Rome, cannot "
file a complaint
" but ask the prosecutor to examine such and such a situation.
In addition, in the name of the principle of complementarity, the ICC only intervenes if the national judicial system is failing.
Read also: Bolivia: the government accuses Morales of a second affair with a minor
"
The Office of the Attorney General (PGE) is at the ICC in The Hague to file a complaint for # crimes against humanity against Evo Morales and others,
" the interim president, Jeanine Añez, wrote on Friday, September 4 on Twitter.
And PGE confirmed the filing of the complaint.
According to the president, the complaint is motivated by "
the siege imposed on cities which has caused more than 40 deaths due to lack of medical oxygen supply
" in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The government blames the former left-wing leader (2006-2019) for ordering these roadblocks in August to force the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to set a date for the elections, which have been postponed three times due to of the pandemic.
The TSE finally set presidential and legislative elections for October 18, ending roadblocks that had caused shortages of food and medicine.
Bolivia, with a population of 11 million, has 118,781 cases of coronavirus and 5,288 deaths.
Evo Morales is already the target of other complaints filed by the right-wing government, including allegations of relations with minors.
Bolivia has been going through a post-election crisis since the October 2019 election. Evo Morales had declared himself the winner of the presidential election for a fourth term, but the opposition had cried out fraud.
After weeks of protests, the president resigned and fled Bolivia, let loose by the police and the army.
He first took refuge in Mexico and then in Argentina.
