Written by: Noah Kim-Cragg

The Bolivian Supreme Electoral Tribunal has barred Evo Morales, Bolivia’s ex-president, from running for a senate seat in the upcoming elections. The ruling serves as the latest in a series of events for the Bolivian nation, after Morales was ousted from power in a November coup, following military intervention over his disputed fourth electoral victory.

The tribunal’s ruling was centered around the requirement that senate candidates must be residents within their country to run. Morales, who fled the country after his resignation from office, currently resides in Argentina, where he is granted political asylum. As of now Morales faces charges of terrorism and sedition, with the interim government accusing him of stirring up unrest after being removed from power. The tribunal, who has also barred Morales from re-running for the presidency, has not specified exactly what conditions Morales failed to meet.

Morales responded to the decision on twitter, lambasting the tribunal’s ruling as a “blow to democracy.” He accused the judges of being afraid to stand up to the right-wing government. “They know that I meet all the requirements to be a candidate, the ultimate goal is the proscription of MAS.” MAS (Movement for Socialism) is Morales’ left-wing party.