Bolivia: New violent protests after the jailing of the opposition governor of Santa Cruz

The Governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, one of the main leaders of the right-wing opposition in Bolivia, was remanded in prison yesterday for four months, a development that triggered new violent clashes in his district between his supporters and the police.

Judge Sergio Pacheco issued the order yesterday to impose “pretrial detention on the accused Luis Fernando Camacho Vaca”, which will last “four months” and will be served “in the detention center of Chodchocoro”, a maximum security prison in the Bolivian Andes, some 30 kilometers from La Paz. He joined there after the hearing, as recorded by television cameras.

The prosecution requested yesterday Thursday that Mr. Camatso, 43 years old, to be detained for six months.

The governor of Santa Cruz was arrested on Wednesday at the behest of the prosecutor’s office, which accuses him of “terrorism” for his involvement in the “coup” that ousted leftist former president Evo Morales in November 2019.

The jailing of an influential opposition leader sparked fresh clashes yesterday between protesters and police in Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s most populous city, capital of the region of the same name that is the engine of the Bolivian economy.

At least four civilians were arrested, according to initial reports.

During the protests, youths besieged the offices of the regional police directorate, AFP found. The police made extensive use of tear gas. Demonstrators threw firecrackers and fireworks at police officers, set cars and tires on fire.

A journalist from the Unitel TV network was injured.

Mr Camacho has repeatedly denied instigating a coup, preferring to speak of a popular uprising against former President Morales (2006-2019), whom he accused at the time of rigging the 2019 presidential election to stay in power.

He has been among the most important leaders of the Bolivian right in recent years and leads its second largest faction in parliament, the Creemos (“We Believe”) party, behind the Comunidad Ciudadana (“Community of Citizens”) party of the center-right former president Carlos Mesa.

Former presidents Mesa (2014-2018), Jorge Quiroga (2001-2002) and Janine Añez (2019-2020) condemned the arrest of the governor.

Former president Anies, who faced the same charges, was sentenced in June to serve ten years in prison.

Supporters of the government of Socialist President Luis Arce, on the other hand, expressed satisfaction at Mr. Camacho’s arrest. Attorney General Wilfredo Chávez, former minister of Evo Morales, ruled that “justice must do its job”.

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.