Jorge Quispe / La Paz
With a majority of votes from the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), the Upper House decided yesterday to give a four-month license without pay to Senator Hilarión Padilla, preventively detained for the crime of rape, so that he can solve his “personal problems.” . In CC they denounce that they try to cover it up.
The letter was put to the consideration of the Senate dominated by the MAS which, after a debate, approved giving it temporary permission without pay, while opposition assembly members criticized the determination.
Community Citizen (CC) senator Andrea Barrientos said that last year she denounced Padilla for machismo, calling the decision an act of cover-up.
“The figure of temporary license does not exist in the regulations. The request submitted by Senator Hilarión should have been brought to the attention of the ethics commission, which, according to its regulations, determines whether the sanction is appropriate. They are covering it up!” Barrientos wrote on Twitter.
He added that, by regulation, a senator who does not attend his job source for more than six days should be removed from office. For his part, former President Carlos Mesa also spoke on Twitter about the case. “They protect the governor of Potosí in a gigantic case of corruption; they free from charges to oppressors who kidnapped journalists; they are silent about the overpricing of antigens and now they cover up the senator accused of rape. And they keep talking about justice and transparency. That is the MOST”.
Hilarión Padilla Mamani, substitute senator of the MAS, was charged with the crime of raping a 26-year-old girl in Santa Cruz and was arrested on February 10 in the municipality of Caracollo, in Oruro.
