Bolivian justice has decided to maintain detention against former president Áñez for six months

The situation of the former interim president of Bolivia Jeanine Áñez and two of her former imprisoned ministers was complicated when a judge decided on Saturday to extend their preventive detention from four to six months, pronounced a week ago. .

Judge Willy Arias has decided to “confirm” the resolution which fixed a few days ago the preventive detention of the former head of state and his former ministers “with the modification that the period of preventive detention is set at six month “originally ordered.

The legal basis which was exposed during a virtual hearing which lasted several hours is the “extension” of the risks of obstruction and leakage which were exposed by the representatives of the prosecution, the government ministry and the office of the Attorney General of the country.

The verdict came following an appeal that Añez’s defense raised the provision for preventive detention on charges of sedition and terrorism known as the ‘coup’ cases during the crisis. policy that Bolivia faced in 2019.

RESULT OF THE HEARING

“We are not surprised” by the decision to extend Áñez’s pre-trial detention, Luis Guillén, one of the former interim president’s lawyers, said in a media appearance.

The lawyer admitted that these processes “take a long time” and become somewhat “tortuous” throughout the process to be followed in the investigation.

Guillén maintained that it remained to “respect all the stages” of the procedure, although he regretted “the simple syndication” that the prosecution made against Áñez since it considered that there was no “d ‘association on the facts “for which he is accused, the former president described as” de facto “by the government.

TRANSFER TO ANOTHER CRIMINAL

The day started with the tension caused by Áñez’s sudden transfer this morning to another prison in La Paz, saying he would have the necessary equipment there to monitor his health.

For several days, lawyers for Áñez and his family have been asking for permission to be transferred to a clinic in La Paz because he suffers from hypertension and his blood pressure has risen, arguing that “Your health is in danger” for possible complications.

A court validated this request last Friday, but then there was a change in the provision for which it was considered that specialists from the Institute of Forensic Investigations (Idif) made this assessment.

“They took me out, telling me that I was going to the clinic”, Áñez told the media this morning upon his arrival at his new destination, La Paz prison in Miraflores.

During the day, the former president received a visit from United Nations human rights officials and one of the owners of a prestigious clinic in La Paz who offered medical support in response to the refusal to attend. go to a medical center.

CALLED ON TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY

This Saturday also transcended the invitation made by the Civic Committee of Santa Cruz, one of the main opposition civil organizations, to several of the authorities recently elected in the subnational elections to attend a meeting scheduled for this Monday morning. .

This assembly bears the title of “National Emergency Meeting in Defense of Democracy and Against Political Persecution” It is motivated by the latest arrests of former national authorities and various military leaders due to the process.

Among those summoned are the mayor-elect of El Alto and former president of the Senate, Eva Copa, the mayor-elect of La Paz, Iván Arias, the mayor-elect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, and some candidates who are due to participate in the second round. governments such as Chuquisaca and Tarija.

The process has former lawmaker Lidia Patty as its complainant and as witnesses former President Evo Morales, former Senate Speaker Adriana Salvatierra, former Minister Juan Ramón Quintana among other former officials of the former President’s government. , as mentioned in the audience.

Among the main defendants are the former civic leader and governor-elect of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, former ministers of the interim government as well as other former army and police chiefs who are said to have collaborated to ensure that Áñez assumes the presidency following the resignation of Morales.

(With information from EFE)

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