Violence in the Bolivian Congress during a session on the Jeanine ñez case: there were insults and beatings between lawmakers

The interpellation of the Bolivian Parliament to the Minister of the Government (Interior), Edward del Castillo, for the arrest of the former interim president Jeanine ñez, resulted this Tuesday in a embarrassment at blows between legislators of the ruling party and the opposition.

The question that polarized the parliamentarians of the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), the majority, with those of the opposition Citizen Community and Creemos was whether the political and social crisis that the country went through in 2019 was the product of electoral fraud. or a coup.

The Del Castillo report was preceded by the foreign presence of the Parliament of victims of the so-called Sacaba, Senkata and Pedregal massacres in which more than twenty civilians died in tensions with the army when ñez assumed the interim presidency of the country. , after the resignation of Evo Morales from power.

This demonstration was symbolized by three cardboard coffins that were displayed at the entrance to Parliament moments before Minister Del Castillo came to answer five questions posed by a group of opposition lawmakers.

PUGILATO AMONG LEGISLATORS

Internal environment was filled with banners calling for “justice” for victims or with questions about “where’s the tear gas money”, In reference to the recent corruption scandal that affected the interim government of Áñez.

In front of the main lectern, there was also a stack of papers with inscriptions of “2019 minutes“O”minutes 2020” with which Del Castillo challenged his opponents to demonstrate that there had been no voter fraud in those two years.

When the minister spoke, the screams started from the opposition bloc with responses from the MAS party.

“Calm down please!”, “I ask you the reason!”, Suddenly said the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Mama freddy, who interrupted the minister, to attract the attention of other lawmakers.

In the first row, Creemos Senator Henry Montero and MAS MP Antonio Colque traded punches until both fell to the ground, despite his colleagues’ attempts to separate them.

After that, the same scene was repeated between two lawmakers, one from the MAS and the other from the opposition, who also clashed between tearing their hair and scratching, for which Mamani was forced to declare a ten-minute break and then resume the session.

AN EXALTED MINISTER

“Accomplices of corruption, drug trafficking and death, silence! Keep your cool! the bolivian people see them», Reprimanded Del Castillo in front of the cries of the opponents who interrupted his explanation.

“Accomplices, accomplices, accomplices, assassins, accomplices», Shouted the minister in a tone even more elated, simulating songs in front of his detractors until the interruption due to the blows between parliamentarians.

After the break, Del Castillo presented the arguments why, in his opinion, in 2019 there was a “coup” and “no electoral fraud”.

“Here below are the 35,000 minutes of 2019 management (…) come on (…) I printed them (…) I did your work», Called on the minister to the opponents who maintained loud and clear their demands.

A few minutes before, during recess, the head of the Creemos bench, Edwin Bazan, told the media that the minister was “unable to present arguments” Yes accused him of acting cowardly during the session.

RATIFICATION OF THE MAJORITY

The act of interpellation continued and the majority bench of MAS legislators had already advanced that would support Del Castillo for the actions that followed Áñez’s arrest.

The former interim president has been in preventive detention since mid-March for the so-called “coup d’état” case in which she is accused of sedition, conspiracy and terrorism, following a complaint by former MAS parliamentarian Lidia Patty.

Like her, former Justice Ministers Álvaro Coimbra and Rodrigo Guzmán are being held.

Patty’s complaint also targeted former high-ranking military and police officers as well as current Santa Cruz Governor Luis Fernando Camacho and his father José Luis Camacho Parada, although the courts have not taken action against the latter. .

The Government maintains that this case aims to do justice for the events of 2019 while the opposition considers it an act of persecution against them.

(With information from EFE)

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