November 14, 2024, 4:00 AM
November 14, 2024, 4:00 AM
Ramiro Cucho and Humberto Claros, two peasant leaders close to former President Evo Morales, They were arrested yesterday in Potosí and Cochabamba respectively after being identified as probable perpetrators of terrorism crimes and other criminal offenses that they could have committed in the context of the blockades and violent confrontations against the Police. The protesters used explosives.
Additionally, from the Legislature, deputies and senators related to President Luis Arce came out to demand that the origin of the economic resources used to finance 24 days of roadblocks be investigated. “We believe that money could have arrived from Venezuela and that harms us”declared Senator Virginia Velasco to the media in La Paz.
From Evismo, several spokespersons, such as Evo Morales himself, came out to describe this action as a “kidnapping” and anticipate mobilizations. In fact, Santos himself had asked to carry out a march to Sucre to demand the resignation of the “self-extended” magistrates.”.
For its part, the State Attorney General’s Office (PGE) denounced these leaders to the Prosecutor’s Office on November 6.. The complaint also requested that former minister Juan Ramón Quintana and the peasant leader of Evismo, Ponciano Santos, be investigated and arrested for “terrorism.”
“It is noted their reluctance (in reference to the leaders) to submit to this process,” states the petition from the lawyers of the Attorney General’s Office with which they justified the arrest of these citizens.
Police sources explained to EL DEBER that, in both “direct action” procedures, were applied in coordination with the La Paz Prosecutor’s Office in accordance with Decree 138 of May 20, 2020, which annuls the “natural judge”, when the Prosecutor’s Office investigates “the crimes of terrorism, sedition or armed uprisings against the security and sovereignty of the State.”
“The city of La Paz is consolidated as an area of procedural jurisdiction for the prosecution of these crimes,” states Article 2 of that regulation approved by Evo Morales himself in 2009, but to investigate and judge the citizens involved in a case. of alleged “separatism” that never reached a ruling and that broke out after the assault on the Hotel las Américas in Santa Cruz.
Evo Morales, through messages issued through his social networks, described these arrests as “kidnapping.” while the leader Gerardo García anticipated actions from the bases to demand the freedom of his companions. He accused the Government of violating the right to protest and several citizen freedoms with these arrests carried out yesterday.
“I am sure that it will get worse and it will not be a few days of blockade or marches. Surely measures must be taken until this Government is removed, because it is hurting brothers and sisters,” the leader warned after remembering that there are already 104 detainees under preventive detention, precisely for charges of terrorism and other criminal charges for have affected the country’s economy and damaged the road infrastructure with the pressure measure carried out by the so-called evista sector.
From the Prosecutor’s Office, they reported that this Thursday the formal accusation arising from the preliminary investigation that was developed into the possibility that crimes may have been committed will be known. Regarding the upcoming arrests, it is known that there is a secretive operation called “Recovering the homeland” which is in charge of the Ministry of Government which, in the next few hours, will proceed with the presentation of the suspects.
The first to arrive from Quillacollo to La Paz was Claros. He arrived at the national headquarters of the Special Force to Fight Crime (Felcc), which is two blocks from Plaza Murillo, in the middle of a police deployment that involved the participation of several units and dozens of uniformed personnel. Shortly after, Cucho arrived in a similar deployment. A small rally of militants from the evista faction of the MAS was held at the doors of that police entity. who came out to demand the release of the people who were detained.
Before these police actions, Morales criticized his bases for asking for “per diems” for the mobilizations and García revealed that they pay up to Bs 150 per day “depending on where they come from” for these actions. He clarified that this money comes from his own contributions.
“The Public Ministry has every authority to clarify whether that money came from Venezuela or drug trafficking,” Velasco said.
soon
Evoism has been mobilizing since September for the Lauca Ñ Congress to be recognized, when Evo Morales was elected as leader and candidate for the Presidency in 2025.
Resources
Former President Morales used vehicles acquired by the Bolivian subsidiary of PDVSA. He assured that “those cars saved his life” in the face of the alleged attack he suffered in the tropics of Cochabamba on October 27, one day after his birthday. The Government said that Evo refused to be searched.
Effects
During the blockades at least 91 police officers and six journalists were injured by explosives
Arrests
There are already 104 detainees on terrorism charges linked to the blockades.
