January 2, 2023, 12:40 PM
January 2, 2023, 12:40 PM
The president of the Pro Santa Cruz Committee, Rómulo Calvo, explained that now the strategy in the protests demanding the release of Governor Luis Fernando Camacho “has changed” and, In this sense, he asked the population to protect the State institutions that operate in Santa Cruz.
“We have to be, just as we were in the roundabouts, in the streets, in the avenues; now change the strategy, because the strategy is protchoose public institutions of the State so that a peso does not flow from the people of Santa Cruz to centralism, so that this money is not transformed into gases, so that it does not become resources to finance to the MAS protesters who come here to hurt the population, to provoke self-attacks”Calvo said.
The president of the civic organization made this statement after meeting with the police department chief, Jhonny Chávez, in the offices of his command, which is a few steps from the Christ the Redeemer monument, the area hardest hit by the police repression and the protests that demand the release of Camacho, detained since December 30, 2022 in the maximum security prison of Chonchocoro which is in the highlands of La Paz.
To this measure, according to the president of the Committee, will be added the decisionn of producers from the Integrated North who will not allow food to go to the West, also as a protest measure for the arrest of Camacho, accused of alleged “terrorism” because he led the 21-day protest in 2019, after learning of the electoral fraud for which former President Evo Morales resigned.
“Our Assembly has told us that nothing comes out of Santa Cruz; Yesterday we have been in San Carlos, we have spoken with all the integrated north. Have the support and commitment that nothing comes out of Santa Cruz. We have also met with the Beni brothers and nothing comes out of Beni either“said the leader.
Calvo arrived at the meeting together with the Spanish MEP Víctor Guido Gonzales, linked to the conservative Vox party, and Chilean lawmaker Luis Fernando Sánchez of the Republican Party (opponent of the Chilean government Gabriel Boric). When leaving the meeting, the civic said that Colonel Chávez guaranteed the right to protest.
“We have spoken with the police commander; the commander has promised not to repress the population; to let us demonstrate because it is our constitutional right. We have the right to be in the streets, because we have our first authority illegally detained; kidnappedCalvo remarked.
The meeting coincided with a protest march led by women who reached the front of the Command after traveling a kilometer and a half from the Plaza 24 de Septiembre. “Release Camacho!” That was the slogan of the protest.
Assemblywoman Paola Aguirre said that “the commander must come out to show his face and express his commitment to non-aggression to the people of Santa Cruz.” Aassured that, as long as that does not happen, vigil will be maintained in front of the facilities from the police building that is in the second ring, near the monument to Christ the Redeemer.
Since Camacho was sent to Chonchocoro, a prison located 4,050 meters above sea level and 40 kilometers from La Paz, the protests have focused on the Police Command. The response of the uniformed was harsh. On December 31, the troops fired gas at departmental assembly members who marched from the square to the place.
Calvo said that there are more than 200 injured. The Police reported 43 detainees in the skirmishes, but not all of them are linked to the protests. At least 10 public buildings in Santa Cruz, including the governorate, were affected by fires. The civics denounced “self-attacks” provoked by the MAS.
