LA PAZ, May 17, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Bolivia's ruling party on Friday named interior minister Eduardo del Castillo as its presidential candidate in the country's August election, days after the current president said he would not seek re-election.

President Luis Arce of the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) announced on Tuesday that he would not seek another term, as a severe economic crisis in the Latin American nation has sparked protests and sent his poll numbers plummeting.

Del Castillo, a 36-year-old lawyer who has led the interior ministry since Arce came to power in 2020, attended a MAS rally on Friday in the main square of the capital La Paz where party leader Grover Garcia announced Del Castillo's candidacy.

"After a process of consultation with our social organizations, we present comrade Eduardo del Castillo as our candidate for the presidency," Garcia said.

Del Castillo has been in a fierce media fight with former president Evo Morales, who is wanted on charges of trafficking a minor.

Morales, Bolivia's first Indigenous president, resigned in 2019 after seeking to extend his 13-year grip on power, a tumultuous exit that tainted his legacy.

The ex-leader, 65, accuses Del Castillo of being behind an effort to keep him out of politics.

Morales, who remains popular among Bolivia's Indigenous communities, has been a wanted man since October when prosecutors issued a warrant for his arrest over a case alleging he had a relationship with a teenage girl while he was in power.

Morales denies the charges and has also accused Arce, 61, of weaponizing the judiciary against him.

Even though he is legally barred from running for a fourth term in office, Morales has vowed to file his candidacy for president in the August 17 election.

Bolivia's right-wing and centrist opposition also has several candidates in the running.