POLITICSBOLIVIA
Bolivia detains prominent opposition leader
4 hours ago4 hours ago
Luis Fernando Camacho’s detention could lead to renewed social unrest by residents of the restive Santa Cruz region. Camacho is the governor of the affluent region that wants more say in how the country is run.
https://p.dw.com/p/4LVqw
Bolivian police detained Luis Fernando Camacho, the prominent opposition leader and governor of the Santa Cruz region, on Wednesday.
Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo confirmed Camacho’s detention on Twitter and said he would release more information later.
Later, he posted a picture of Camacho saying he was not injured during his detention but was being examined by medical staff.
What more is known about Camacho’s detention?
Footage of the incident, shared on social media, shows Camacho being handcuffed on the roadside while surrounded by armed law enforcement officers.
Martin Camacho, the governor’s lawyer, told the local newspaper El Deber that his client was being taken to the capital of La Paz to answer questions in cases opened against him.
Dozens of Camacho’s supporters flocked to Santa Cruz’s two airports, demanding his freedom.
How has the Santa Cruz government reacted?
The Santa Cruz government described Camacho’s detention as a “kidnapping.”
“The operation to kidnap the governor was carried out in the streets near his home, as he was returning from his duties,” the Santa Cruz government said.
“In these moments, the governor’s whereabouts are unknown.”
Camacho butted heads with La Paz
Authorities have not said why Camacho was detained, but he recently helped lead weeks of protests against President Luis Arce’s administration.
Protesters demanded a census to increase representation in the national legislature and access to state funds for the opposition stronghold of Santa Cruz.
While a census was scheduled for 2024, the protesters called for it to be held next year to accurately reflect Santa Cruz’s growing economic and population size in the legislature.
Camacho was also a prominent figure in the large protests in 2019 that resulted in the removal of President Evo Morales from power after elections were deemed fraudulent by the Organization of American States.
The protests caused social unrest and resulted in 37 deaths, leading to Bolivia’s most severe institutional crisis in recent years.
lo/ar (AFP, AP, Reuters)
