Bolivia’s Evo Morales heads to Cuba for medical treatment

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Ousted Bolivian leader Evo Morales has left Argentina, where he fled in November as a political exile, for Cuba for a medical procedure, his spokesman said on Monday.

Morales, a South American socialist icon, left Bolivia after officials there annulled his October election victory following accusations of vote-rigging.

“Ex-president Evo Morales last night took an unscheduled flight to Cuba for health reasons,” his spokesman told Reuters. “He’s expected to return this weekend and will continue with his scheduled agenda.”

Since arriving in Argentina, Morales has campaigned fervently for his Movement for Socialism (MAS) party ahead of an upcoming presidential election in Bolivia on May 3.

MAS leads in recent polls against the divided opposition, but not by enough to avoid a second round run-off.

(Reporting by Walter Bianchi, writing by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Nick Zieminski)