La Paz, February 5 (RHC)-- The democratically-elected President of Bolivia Evo Morales, who is seeking asylum in Argentina after a coup d'etat against him, has been named a candidate for senate.  "Our brother Evo Morales is on the official lists.  He is our candidate for the department of Cochabamba to the National Assembly," coca growers' leader, Leonardo Loza, stated today to the press in La Paz, adding that social organizations supported the candidacy.

With the announcement, Bolivia's former president is running as a candidate for the senate for the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) in the elections next May, despite the de facto government's attempts to prevent him from registering.  The registration took place in a convulsed context, since the Bolivian police arrested his legal representative, Patricia Hermosa, in charge of carrying out the procedures for the application.

Also, Wilfredo Chávez, the representative and political delegate of MAS, had to take refuge in the Argentinean embassy in Bolivia after the coup authorities tried to stop him from registering Morales.

The former Bolivian leader, who has been in Argentina since last December, where he has requested refuge, had stated through his Twitter account that the de-facto government was trying to prevent his name from appearing on the senatorial ballot. 

Evo Morales also tweeted that "the MAS-IPSP (Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples) was the first party to present lists of candidates."

MAS registered its candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency of the country, Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca, respectively, in addition to their lists for the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

The MAS list also includes former Foreign Minister Diego Pary, as the candidate for first senator for Potosi; the mayor of Vinto, Patricia Arce, as the candidate for second senator for Cochabamba; and deputy Betty Yañíquez, as the fourth pluri-nominal candidate for La Paz.