Bolivia Arrests Main Opposition Leader for Terrorism; Prosecutors Say He is a Flight Risk

Bolivian police have detained the country's main opposition leader, Luis Fernando Camacho. The current governor of the Santa Cruz region is now facing charges of terrorism.

According to the Associated Press, he was detained last Wednesday after police clashed with Camacho supporters. In the chaotic melee, protesters managed to burn several public offices and vehicles.

The Guardian reported that an arrest warrant was issued against the governor last October. Officials say it was in connection to the ouster of former leftist president Evo Morales in 2019. He led some of the demonstrations that resulted in Morales' ouster. Camacho was accused of terrorism without authorities giving any further explanation.

According to authorities, Camacho led what the government says is a coup during the protests in 2019. However, his allies argued they really just were protests.

Luis Fernando Camacho Supporters Set Up Road Blocks to Stop His Arrest

In a bid to protect Camacho, pro-Camacho supporters took to the streets and blocked roads all over Santa Cruz. This included the main highway that connected the region with Bolivia.

This led to unrest and long lines in gas stations as people became increasingly worried that this could lead to shortages in the region.

Santa Cruz, which Camacho governs, is not only one of the biggest opposition strongholds in the country but also one of the wealthiest regions in Bolivia. Shortly after his arrest, the governor's office in Santa Cruz stated that their governor was "kidnapped in an absolutely irregular police operation and was taken to an unknown location."

Camacho was detained near his home, and several key opposition figures, including former President Carlos Mesa, called his arrest as a "violent and illegal kidnapping."

However, the Chief Prosecutor's Office of Bolivia has denied that Camacho's detention was politically motivated, stating that the arrest came from proceedings that started in 2020 and that the governor had "full knowledge" of them. Camacho also refused to undergo questioning by prosecutors during that time as he says that there was a "lack of guarantees of fair treatment."

Camacho still denies all allegations that have been made against him, even as videos and images of him in handcuffs have started making their rounds online.

Bolivian Prosecutors Say That Governor Luis Fernando Camacho Is a Flight Risk

Prosecutors in Bolivia have called for Governor Camacho to be remanded in custody for six months as he faces terrorism charges. They argued that he should be held in a prison in La Paz, as he posts a flight risk. His leaving or escaping could affect the ongoing investigations into his actions, according to the Associated Press.

His fate is now all up to a Bolivian judge on whether he will remain under house arrest or he will be sent to prison instead.

Camacho remains defiant, saying that he was kidnapped by police in a "brutal fashion." His lawyer says that he is unable to file for an appeal and accused the judiciary of "washing its hands and is preventing this constitutional right."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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