Bolivia: Jeanine Anez “stable” after a suicide attempt in prison | Latin America News



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The former Bolivian president tried to harm herself after prosecutors charged her with “genocide” for the deaths of protesters in 2019.

Jailed former Bolivian president Jeanine Anez is in “stable” condition after attempting to kill herself when prosecutors accused her of “genocide” for the deaths of protesters in 2019, an official said.

“We can say, without a doubt, that his state of health is stable,” Juan Carlos Limpias, director of prisons, told reporters on Sunday.

“At the moment, she is with her family in the penitentiary. The family will be an important factor in helping to improve his state of mind, ”he added.

Carolina Ribera, Anez’s daughter, said her mother attempted suicide on Saturday due to “severe depression” due to her prolonged imprisonment.

Norma Cueller, Anez’s lawyer, said Anez injured herself cutting her forearms. “It’s a cry for help from the former president. She feels very harassed, ”the lawyer told reporters.

Anez, 54, was arrested earlier this year on charges of participating in a coup to topple longtime former president Evo Morales in 2019.

She denied the allegations and said that she is a victim of political persecution. She is in prison awaiting trial.

Supporters of the former interim president of Bolivia, Jeanine Anez, hold her picture and the Spanish messages “Justice for Jeanine”, “Freedom for Jeanine Anez”, “You are not alone, Bolivia is with you” and “There was no coup. There was fraud ‘as they protest for her freedom outside Miraflores Women’s Prison where she is being held in La Paz, Bolivia, on Wednesday the 18th. August 2021 [Juan Karita/ AP]

Attorney General Juan Lanchipa on Friday announced “genocide” charges against Anez for two incidents in November 2019 in which a total of 22 people died in clashes with police.

The victims were supporters of Morales.

Lanchipa said he had presented documents against her in which the incidents were “provisionally classified as genocide, serious and minor injuries and injuries followed by death”.

Anez also faces charges of terrorism, sedition and conspiracy.

The Bolivian opposition has said it deplores the government’s treatment of Anez and called for his release.

Former centrist president Carlos Mesa demanded an end to his “political imprisonment” and called for an independent investigation into his condition.

Anez’s family has repeatedly called on the government to transfer her to a hospital for treatment of hypertension and other ailments.

Conservative Anez came to power in November 2019 after Morales resigned and fled the country after weeks of violent protests against his controversial re-election for an unconstitutional fourth term.

She was sworn in as interim president as the highest-ranking parliamentarian on the left, but her political opponents denounced it as a coup.

Under the administration of Anez, Bolivia held peaceful and transparent elections in October 2020 in which Morales’ protege Luis Arce won a landslide victory.

Arce later promised to prosecute those he accused of staging a coup.

The Bolivian opposition denounced the lack of separation of powers in the country, saying that the courts, the electorate and the prosecutor’s office are all loyal to Arce.



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