Bolivian police detained prominent right-wing opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho on Wednesday on charges of “terrorism”. This is confirmed by the Public Prosecution Service of Bolivia to Reuters news agency.
The 43-year-old lawyer and former civic leader, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, currently serves as governor of the Santa Cruz region. Bolivia’s prosecutor’s office said the arrest was related to the 2019 overthrow of former left-wing president Evo Morales. In a statement posted on Twitter, Camacho said the allegations lacked truth and credibility and expressed pride in his part in the fight for “freedom and democracy” in Bolivia. “I am not afraid of the prison of the dictatorship. I will always defend Santa Cruz and Bolivia, I will defend democracy.”
Camacho, who was transferred from the city of Santa Cruz to a police station in the capital La Paz, would face 15 to 20 years in prison if convicted. The arrest is feared that tensions between the national government and Camacho’s supporters in Santa Cruz will escalate further. His arrest quickly led to roadblocks in parts of the region where the office of the public prosecutor on fire was stabbed and thrown with fireworks. Can be seen on images that security forces use tear gas used.
‘Justice’
Camacho is the second prominent political figure associated with Morales’ impeachment. Earlier this year, former Bolivian president Jeanine Áñez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in an alleged coup. Morales, who led Bolivia for 14 years, was accused of electoral fraud in 2019, sparking large-scale, violent protests. After the army and police withdrew their support for Morales, the then president left for Argentina and all his party members resigned from their political positions. A year later, the country held new presidential elections in which a party member of Morales, Luis Arce, was elected president.
Morales was then able to return from Argentina. Evo Morales said on Twitter on Wednesday that he hoped Camacho’s arrest would bring justice. “Finally, after three years, Luis Fernando Camacho will answer for the coup that led to robberies, persecutions, arrests and massacres of the de facto government.”
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